


Sweet Escape

by CarolPeletier



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2018-05-23 23:14:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6133452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CarolPeletier/pseuds/CarolPeletier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That awkward moment when you go on a double date and fall for your date's best friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. My Best Friend's Date

Disclaimer: I own nothing from The Walking Dead.

Sweet Escape

Chapter 1: My Best Friend’s Date

“My kid hates me,” Rick Grimes muttered as he passed his best friend a beer.

“The hell are you talking about?”  Daryl Dixon grabbed for the beer, popped the top and sucked a third of it down before he sat down on the porch steps.

“It’s his weekend at my house, and he looks at me and says ‘I hate you.  I’m staying with mommy.’”

“Oh,” Daryl muttered.  “He’s a kid.  He’ll get over it.”  Rick shook his head.

“I wanna say things that I know I shouldn’t say.  He hates me, blames me for the divorce.  I wanna look at him and tell him that it was his mother’s fault for sleeping with someone else, but I think he’d just resent me even more one day.”  Rick glanced at Daryl, and Daryl grunted.  “And he’s just a kid.  I have to be the bigger person.  If he hears me talking bad about his mom, I don’t know…I just…”  He sighed and looked at Daryl, who narrowed his eyes at his friend.

“What the hell are you lookin’ at me for?  I ain’t got a kid.  Ain’t never been married.  Ain’t got nothin’ for ya here.”

“I need a favor, Daryl.”

“Shit, this ain’t gonna be like the time you got drunk and set Shane’s yard on fire, is it, ‘cause if the cops ever come sniffin’ around my place, I’m givin’ your ass up.  Ain’t sayin’ the asshole didn’t deserve it for screwin’ your wife, but I ain’t takin’ the fall.  And I’m a fireman.  I’m s’posed to stop fires, not start ‘em.”  Rick clapped him on the shoulder. 

“Thanks, buddy,” Rick snorted.  “No.  Look, I met someone.”

“And that means what to me?” Daryl replied, sucking down the rest of his beer.

“Well, she’s recently divorced, she’s got a kid.  We have a lot in common.  She’s beautiful.  She’s got this great figure, gorgeous, blue eyes.  She’s got this cute little, I dunno, I guess you’d call it a pixie cut.  Kind of reddish brown hair.  Hot.” 

“So, you need help getting laid, is that it?”

“Well, she’s just getting out there, see, and she’d feel more comfortable in a group environment, you know?  She’s got a friend, and…”

“No.”

“C’mon, Daryl.”

“A fuckin’ double date?  We ain’t twelve.”

“When was the last time you had a nice evening with a pretty woman?”

“Uh, have you seen the friend?” Daryl asked, pulling a cigarette from his shirt pocket. 

“Well, no, but…”

“So how do ya know she’s pretty?  Look, it ain’t like that’s all that matters.  I know.  The last ‘pretty girl’ you set me up with was one of Lori’s friends, and I ended up handcuffed to a bed.  I’m pretty sure she started speakin’ in tongues when we were…”

“Alright, enough said,” Rick laughed.  “I’ll just be lonely and miserable the rest of my life.”

“Oh, fuck you,” Daryl grumbled.  “Don’t do that shit.”

“C’mon, man.  It’s been…like six months.”

“Yeah, well, cry me a river,” Daryl grumbled, lighting his cigarette and taking a long draw.

“How is it that an asshole like you gets women slipping him their numbers at least once a week?  Is it the fireman thing, or is it that you swear like a sailor and smoke like a chimney?  Because maybe I’m in the wrong line of business,” Rick muttered.  Daryl gave him a look.  “Maybe it’s the hair.  And you don’t even call most of them.  What’s wrong with you?”

“Guess I just saw how miserable bein’ with a woman was makin’ you, so I figured I’d avoid it at all costs,” Daryl smirked, taking another puff.

“You need to get out there, too.”

“Nah, I’m good.”

“When was the last time you had sex?  Did the crazy chanting girl scar you for life or somethin’?”

“Christ, if I say yes, will ya shut up already?”  He saw the grin spread over Rick’s face.

“Yep.”

“Great.  Fine.  I’ll go.  So what’s this chick’s name?  Will it go good with Grimes when ya marry her?   ‘Cause ya seem desperate enough that I’m sure that’s where it’s headin’.”

“Shut up,” Rick chuckled.  “Her name’s Carol, and trust me, when you see her, you’ll be wishing you’d met her first.”

“And my date?  You know, the friend that she’s bringing since she don’t wanna be alone with your ass?”

“Funny,” Rick mumbled.  “Name’s Michonne.”

“Michonne,” Daryl said slowly.  “Alright.  I’ll do it.  But I swear if you ditch me, I ain’t never doin’ another thing for you.”

“You got it,” Rick chuckled.  “Thanks, brother.”  Daryl frowned and tossed his burned out cigarette butt onto the pavement.  “Relax, Daryl.  What could go wrong?

*~*~*

“Daryl?” Michonne asked with a laugh, pausing in the doorway of her bathroom with her toothbrush in her mouth. 

“Yeah, what’s wrong with his name?” Carol asked, bouncing Michonne’s young son Andre in her arms.  He rested his head upon her shoulder sleepily.

“Oh God,” Michonne choked out, spitting into the sink and wiping her mouth.  “Does he have a mullet and at least six missing teeth?”

“Michonne!”  Carol scolded.  “Come on, give him a chance.  I just need a buffer.  You’re the one that convinced me to go out and start dating again, but I just need an extra little push.  Please do this with me.”

“So this Rick Grimes is a cop, is he?  You hoping he has a big gun?”

“Oh, shut up,” Carol muttered with an eye roll.  “He was nice.  We met in the produce section at the grocery store.  He’s got a son about Sophia’s age.”  Michonne yawned, and Carol whined.  “C’mon, Michonne.  It’s not like you have to marry the guy.  I just need a little support.  Who knows?  Maybe Rick’s the right one.  Maybe…maybe Daryl’s the one you’ve been waiting for.  If you don’t go, you might miss out on the best thing you’ll never know you were supposed to do.”

“Oh my God,” Michonne muttered.  “ _Fine!_   But I’m only doing this because I love you, and because I’m pretty sure if you don’t get laid soon, you’re going to start adopting cats and I won’t be able to visit you, because I’m allergic.”

“Thank you,” Carol said with a cheery smile, ignoring the little jab Michonne had made.  Instead, she handed Andre over to his mother and then grabbed her car keys and her purse.

“Wait, where are you going?” Michonne asked, putting Andre down to toddle off to the living room.

“I’m going home.  I have to drive Sophia to her dad’s for the weekend, and then I have to get ready.”

“But we have three hours.”

“You do realize this will be the first date I’ve had since my first date with Ed, right?  I’m thirty now.  Hell, I don’t even know what I should wear.”

“Well, are you looking for ‘nice dinner with a handsome guy’ or ‘please take me up against the wall of this cramped bathroom stall?’”

“Uh, somewhere in the middle?” Carol offered.

“Alright.  Go with the little black dress.  It’s classy, but it’s sexy, and it can be ambiguous.  It could mean ‘I want to look nice for you,’ but it can also mean ‘I may not be wearing any panties, and you can make a move when you walk me to my door.’  And you’ll be safe, because I’ll be there, so if he’s some creep, I can just pepper spray him for you and call it a night.”

“Have I mentioned how much I love you?” Carol asked with an amused smirk.

“Not lately, but it’s nice to be reminded.”  Carol flashed her a thankful grin before she turned and hurried out of Michonne’s apartment.

*~*~*~*

“So, which one do you think’s mine?” Michonne asked, sucking absently on a breath mint as they sat in her car.  Carol fidgeted anxiously in the passenger’s seat.  “If it’s _that_ guy, I’ll kill you.”  She pointed to a guy wearing socks and sandals and a wrinkly shirt.  He kept walking past the restaurant doors.  “Oh, thank God.” 

“You realize that Daryl’s probably grilling Rick about the same thing right now.  Doesn’t that make you feel a little objectified?  Isn’t it what’s on the inside that counts?”

“Well, yeah, but when you’ve been on one too many blind dates, you’re bound to be a little pessimistic.  Oh.  Oh, here we go.  Look at that tall drink of water.”

“Huh?” Carol asked, scanning the group of people walking by. 

“Him.  Standing by the door.  Hello, gorgeous.”  She fanned her face. 

“Uh…him?  The guy in the tight jeans?”

“Um, yeah.  Come to mama.”

“Oh God,” Carol muttered, biting her lip as her cheeks brightened.

“What?” Michonne asked.  “Oh no.  No!  Don’t tell me that’s your date.”

“I’m sorry,” Carol winced.

“Oh, damn it!” Michonne laughed.  “Oh, I hate you right now.”

“Well, I told you he was handsome!”

“Understatement of the year,” Michonne breathed, wiping at her forehead with the back of her hand.

“You need to be alone for a minute?” Carol asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“Oh, no, I’ll be alright.  Oh, damn it, I can’t believe you, you lucky minx.  Just promise me you give me all the juicy details, because I _will_ be living vicariously through you.”  Michonne dug into her purse and pulled out a roll of breath mints.  “Here.  If you don’t end the night making out with him, I will disown you.”  She sighed heavily as Carol tucked her mints into her purse.  “Ok, let’s see what I got.”  They watched Rick for a moment, and when the second guy showed up with a cigarette in his mouth, and clapped Rick on the shoulder, Michonne groaned.

“A smoker? Oh, I guess I can deal with it for one night.  But I’m not really into the shaggy hair.  Ooh, nice arms, though.  Not bad.”  She glanced at Carol, who was suddenly very quiet.  “Carol?” 

Carol took a shaky breath, immediately zeroing in on the way this Daryl’s eyes scanned the crowd, the way he seemed to linger back a little, trying not to draw too much attention to himself.  He was wearing a button down shirt, but it was very evident that he worked out judging by the way the shirt fit him a little more snugly than she’d expected. 

His hair swept down into his eyes until he pushed it out of his face, and she noticed the exquisite bone structure of his face, the way his lips pursed around the cigarette, the way he carried himself with a reserved confidence, as if he was waiting for everything to fall apart.  He was gorgeous, lean but muscular, and he had a few days worth of stubble on his chin that made her wonder what it might be like to brush her fingertips over his jaw. 

Suddenly, her heart was racing, and she had to take a deep breath.

“Uh, Earth to Carol?”

“Huh?  Oh.  Sorry.”

“Sweetie, do _you_ need a cigarette?”

“What?  I’m fine.  I was just…”

“Yeah, I know you were just,” Michonne smirked.  “Oh, look.  They’re going in.”  Carol took a couple of deep breaths before she checked her makeup and hair in the mirror. 

“Ok, let’s do this.”

“You ok?  You’re not gonna jump my date the second we get to the table are we?”

“Oh, shut up.  I’m Rick’s date.”

“Yeah?  Well, I’m all for swapping if it so suits you.”

“Stop,” Carol laughed.  “Let’s go.  One night, and we’ll see what happens.”  Michonne nodded and popped another breath mint into her mouth.  “I thought you didn’t care for smokers?”

“Well, if this goes anywhere tonight, I want one of us to at least taste good.”

“You’re crazy,” Carol laughed. 

“But I’m honest,” Michonne shrugged.  “Let’s get this over with.”

*~*~*~*

“I think you been stood up,” Daryl muttered, taking a sip of ice water as Rick watched the door anxiously.

“She’ll be here.  She’s got a kid.  Probably just got held up.”

“M’gonna take a piss.”  Daryl tossed his napkin on the table and stood up quickly. 

“Yeah, alright,” Rick replied, waving a waitress over.  As Daryl walked away, Rick ordered a bottle of wine and four glasses for the group, and when the waitress headed off toward the bar, Rick looked over to see a woman heading his way.  She wore a red dress that complimented the shade of her lipstick.  It was low cut, he couldn’t help but let his gaze wander down to the valley between her breasts, seeing a fine sheen of sweat there, no doubt from the humid summer air.  Her braids were pulled up and off her elegant neck, and he couldn’t help but let his gaze pass over her shoulders, and then he was looking at her breasts again. 

And she stopped at his table.

“Hi, are you Rick?” 

 _“_ Uh…”

“You need a minute?”

“Um…yeah, I’m Rick,” he choked out, standing up and spilling his glass of water.  “Shit.  I’m sorry.  God.”  He dabbed at the water and glanced up at Michonne who was smiling a perfect, pearly white smile, shoulders shaking with a silent laugh. 

“Carol wanted me to tell you she went to the ladies’ room to wash her hands.”

“Uh, your Daryl, I mean, your date did, too.  Um, to the men’s room.  Not the ladies’.”

“Yeah, I figured that’s what you meant,” Michonne chuckled.  Rick cleared his throat and quickly pulled out a chair for her.  “Oh, thank you.”

“I ordered wine.  I hope that’s alright.”

“Wine is good,” Michonne replied with a bright smile.  “Carol’s favorite is red.”

“Oh.  Yeah.  Carol.  My…date.”  Michonne gave him a look that he couldn’t quite read, before he quickly brushed his fingers through his short hair and turned his attention down to the menu that shook in his anxious hands.

*~*~*~*

“Shit!”

“Oh!  I’m sorry,” Carol murmured, quickly moving the point of her heel off of his boot.  She took a step back, staring up into the most gorgeous blue eyes she’d ever stared into before.  He smelled like cologne with a slight hint of smoke and mint, and it was all a very, very good combination.  He pushed his hair out of his eyes and cleared his throat.  She felt her knees go weak the second his lips parted and his tongue darted out to wet them.

“No harm done,” he said quietly, moving out of the way to let her walk out first.  He couldn’t help but notice the way that black dress clung to her in all the right spots.  The straps were clear, giving the illusion of a strapless dress, and it clung to her breasts and her hips and her ass in all the right ways.  He found his pulse picking up speed when she turned to look over her shoulder, nearly stumbling on her own two feet. 

He couldn’t help but wish that he didn’t have this fucking double date, or else he might actually find his balls for once and ask this gorgeous woman to join him.  But, surely she wasn’t here alone. 

When he realized she was walking toward Rick’s table, he suddenly noticed that cute pixie cut and the reddish brown hair.  The hair that Rick was talking about.  Holy shit.

“I’m Carol,” she said with a smile, glancing over her shoulder at him briefly.  “I’m Rick’s date.”

“I’m…Daryl.  I’m…”

“Rick’s friend.  It’s nice to meet you.” 

“Yeah.  Yeah, you too.”  With a frustrated sigh, Daryl prayed this dinner would end quickly.  How the hell was he supposed to get through this night—with a date of his own, no less—when all he could think about was how badly he wanted to feel his best friend’s date pressed up against him. 

What could go wrong?  Sure.

 


	2. Just Desserts

Chapter 2: Just Desserts

“You want another piece of cheesecake?” Rick asked Michonne, raising his eyebrows and he leaned forward with rapt attention.  Daryl furrowed his brows at his friend for paying closer attention to his date’s friend than to his own date.  He glanced at Carol who sat with an expression that was somewhere between boredom and amusement.

“Uh, no, I think I’m fine,” Michonne chuckled.  “But, um, _Carol_ might want one.”  Carol couldn’t help but roll her eyes at her friend.  It was more than obvious that the second Rick had set eyes on Michonne, all other women paled in comparison to her in his eyes, and they’d spent the last hour watching Rick fumble through his meal trying very hard not to spill anything all over the place.  For a county sheriff, he was awfully clumsy on this night.

“Carol?  Would you like…”

“No, thanks,” she said with a chuckle, eyeing Daryl, who was looking at her like she was his own personal slice of cheesecake.  If she wasn’t feeling so warm and turned on, she might have been offended at his rapt appraisal of her body that neither Rick nor Michonne seemed to notice, because they were too busy making googly eyes at each other.  It really was no bother to Carol, however, who quickly found herself drawn to watching the way Daryl kind of lingered in the back of the conversation, silent and only jumping in when prompted.

Just as Michonne was finishing her last sip of wine, her cell phone rang. 

“I’m sorry, it’s probably the babysitter.  I should…”

“No, that’s alright,” Daryl said with a shrug.  “Your kid comes first.  That’s cool.”  Michonne quickly grabbed for her phone and stood up, leaving to take the call.

“So, uh, Carol is a, um…I’m sorry,” Rick chuckled, blushing at his forgetfulness.  She couldn’t help but think that he could recite every job Michonne had held since high school, though.

“I’m a nurse.”

“Yeah?” Daryl asked.  “You work at the hospital?”

“No.  No, when I had Sophia, I told myself I wouldn’t let my work be my life.  I work at a pediatrician’s office, so I only work during office hours three days a week.”

“Oh,” Daryl said with a nod.

“What is it you do, Daryl?” Carol asked, crossing her legs under the table, leaning forward with her chin propped in her hands, idly running her pinky finger over her soft, pink lips. 

“Um,” Daryl choked out.  “I’m, um, I’m a firefighter for the Atlanta Fire Department.”

“Seriously?” Carol asked, raising an eyebrow as she mentally undressed him, imagining him wearing nothing but the trousers of a fire suit, red suspenders and all. 

“Yeah,” Daryl murmured, cheeks reddening at the way she looked at him.  Rick cleared his throat and took a sip of wine, suddenly feeling very much like the odd man out at the table. 

“Maybe I should check on…”  Rick was interrupted by his own cell phone ringing, and he quickly grabbed for it.  “I’m sorry.  I gotta…”

“That’s ok,” Carol said with a smile.  “Go on.”  Rick nodded and quickly answered his phone.

“Rick Grimes.”  Meanwhile, Daryl watched the way Carol looked down as she grabbed for her wine glass.  He watched the way a single bead of sweat trailed down from her neck down between her breasts, and he couldn’t help but want to press his lips to her neck and taste the salt of her skin.  “What?  Yeah.  Yeah, I’ll be right there.”  He ended the call and stood up.  “I’m sorry.  I…there’s a situation downtown, and they need me.”  Daryl glanced up at him briefly before glancing at Carol.  “I’m really sorry.  Would you…excuse me?”

“That’s fine.  Go do what you have to do,” Carol said with a little smile.

“Here.  Um, this should be enough to cover the meal.  Have some more wine, on me.”  He handed Daryl a hundred bucks and hurried off.  Daryl looked at the money in his hand and smirked.  “This’ll buy a whole lot of wine.  You thirsty?”  Carol grinned at that, just as Michonne came walking back.

“I’m really sorry, but apparently my son’s running a temperature.  I have to get home and check on him,” Michonne offered.  She glanced at the empty chair next to Daryl’s.  “Where’d Rick go?”

“Emergency downtown,” Carol said with a little shrug.

“Oh.  Carol, I can run you home, but we have to hurry,” Michonne offered.  Carol’s mouth fell open briefly as she pondered her next move. 

“I’m fine.  I can take a cab,” she offered.  “Go on.  Give Andre a kiss from me, ok?”

“Will do,” Michonne said with a smile.  She held her hand out to Daryl, and he stood up, giving her hand a shake.  “Daryl, it was so nice to meet you.  I’m sorry I have to run off like this.”

“Hey, it’s cool.  Take care of your kid.  Nice meetin’ you.”

“Yeah.  You, too,” Michonne said softly, glancing back and forth between Carol and Daryl with a raised eyebrow.  “Well, you two enjoy your…wine.”  With that, she turned and rushed off, and Daryl settled back into his seat.

“So much for our dates, huh?” Daryl asked, licking his lips before splitting the rest of the wine between their empty glasses. 

“I kind of got the feeling that he had other things on his mind.  Like my best friend,” she pointed out.

“Hey, he’s an idiot.  I mean, not that Michonne ain’t great.  She’s beautiful, but…fuck, I’m ruinin’ this.” 

“I think you’re doing ok,” Carol chuckled. 

“Just…trust me, I’ve known him a long time.”  Carol laughed at that and shook her head.  “He’s an idiot for actin’ the way he did tonight.”

“No, he really is sweet.  It just wasn’t meant to be, and that’s fine.” 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she replied, taking her glass into her hand and taking a long sip.  “So, Daryl?  You want anymore dessert?”

*~*~*~*

“Unh,” she groaned, as he pushed her up against the front door, hands gripping her hips as his tongue probed between her lips.  He pushed against her, and she could feel his erection straining against his pants, and it was all she could do to keep from unzipping his fly and tucking her hand into his pants.  She could hear a soft jingling as he fumbled with his keys, and when he groaned in frustration, breaking the kiss to focus on finding the right key, she moved her hand up his neck and into his hair, giving him a little tug that drove him fucking crazy.  

“Fuck,” he hissed, finally getting the key in and unlocking it.  The door fell open, crashing against the wall before Daryl walked her inside and shut the door with his foot. 

“Nice place,” she murmured without even looking around.

“Yeah, it ain’t much, but it’s home.”

“Mmm,” she moaned against his mouth, as he walked her backward, pressing her against the wall.

“Just…oh, fuck, you feel so good,” he groaned, moving his hands up her hips and pulling her closer, grinding his erection against her thigh as she gasped against his mouth. He heard the click-clack of her heels being unceremoniously kicked across the room, and then her hands were at his shirt, frantically trying to work the buttons until they were both so worked up he ripped the whole thing, sending a couple of buttons flying off, likely never to be found again.

Then her lips were on his neck, and he felt like he might lose his mind.  Her hands moved over his shoulders as she pushed the shirt off of him, and then she was trailing her fingers down his stomach and to the waist of his pants.

“You have anything?” she asked, eyes dark with desire as she looked up at him, fingers toying with his belt buckle.

“Upstairs,” he bit out.  Biting her lip, she gave him the sexiest fucking grin he’d ever seen, and then she was turning around to face the wall. 

“Could you get the zipper?”  _Well, damn!_   He stepped up behind her, pressing into her, sliding his hands up her thighs, bringing her dress up just enough he could slide his hand up her thigh, slipping his fingers against the lace of her black panties.  She let out a soft whine before he finally kissed the back of her neck and shoulder blade and began to unzip her dress.

It fell off quickly, and then she was eyeing the stairs.

“C’mon,” he murmured, tugging on her earlobe with his teeth.  He took her hand and led her up, trying to focus on each step and each breath and not on the fact that all of the blood in his body seemed to be rushing in one very obvious direction. 

“Just so you know,” she murmured, as she turned to face him, revealing the black lacy bra that clung to her small but ample breasts, “I don’t usually do this.”

“Don’t go home with somebody that ain’t your date, or don’t go home with men on the first date?”

“Both,” she laughed, as he stopped on the landing to bring her in for another kiss.  Then her hand was cupping the bulge in his pants, and his hips bucked at the sensation.  He growled against her mouth then, and she pulled back, lips slightly swollen from his hungry kisses. 

“You wanna stop?”

“No.  Do you?”

“Fuck no,” he muttered, triggering a laugh that might as well been a heavenly chorus.  How was this woman so fucking perfect?

“It’s been awhile,” she admitted, as Daryl broke away to grab a handful of condoms off of the box by the bathroom sink.  She raised an eyebrow.  “High hopes?”

“It’s been a while,” he echoed, grabbing her hand and leading her toward the bedroom.  He absently tossed the condoms onto the bedside table before he sat down and pulled her into his lap.  “Don’t do this, either.  But the second I saw you in that little black dress, all I wanted was to taste you.”  His breath was hot against her lips, and she moaned softly the second his thumbs tugged down the cups of her flimsy bra.  She arched back, pushing her chest up, and he latched onto a nipple, tugging gently with his teeth before he teased her with his tongue.  Then, he had the clasp open on her bra, and the fabric fell away, leaving her exposed to his approving gaze.  He immediately moved to tease her other breast as one hand moved down to give her ass a little squeeze.

“Oh God!” she cried out, gripping his shoulders before she rolled her hips against him, getting a groan in response out of him.  He flipped her then, laying her back against the mattress and crawling between her legs.  She bit her lip, breasts heaving as he began to kiss down the valley of her breasts.  “Wait.  Wait!”  He lifted his head then, gaze fixing on hers, and her eyelids fluttered closed for a moment.  “It’s…it’s been a while?  So you’re…I mean, you haven’t…”

“I’m clean,” he promised.

“Ok,” she choked out.  “Ok.”  She took a deep breath and slowly let it out through pursed lips.  “Me too.  Just…just checking.”

“You ok?  You’re shakin’.”

“No, I’m just…I’m good.  Don’t stop.”  She smiled then, and he couldn’t help but smile back before he was tugging at her panties, sliding them down her legs before he buried his nose against the soft patch of curls.  She moaned then, spreading her legs as he teased her with his tongue and fingers, wasting no time at finding her clit and giving it a little flick with the tip of his tongue.  “Oh fuck.  Oh my God.”  She arched back, reaching for something, anything to hold onto, settling with the bed sheets as she bucked her hips against his mouth. 

It had been too long, so it didn’t take much effort to bring her over the edge, and the second she did, her face and chest flushed pink, and he pulled back to watch her throw her head back, mouth opening in a silent cry as her pulse raced beneath her breast.

He took the opportunity to quickly tug off his belt and slide his pants and boxers off, and it was only when Carol heard the crinkling of the condom wrapper that she opened her eyes again, propping herself up on her elbows to get a good look at him.  And he was spectacular, long and thick with a prominent vein running along the underside of his shaft.  Her eyes blew wide as she took in the sight of him and she felt a dizzying ache deep inside at the thought of him filling her, stretching her, fucking her. 

He rolled the latex over his dick and he crawled over her again.  She moaned softly when he greeted her with a soft kiss, letting her taste her own salty sweetness against his lips and tongue. 

She sighed then, trying to relax as her stomach muscles jumped and her legs quivered as he pushed against her entrance. 

“Can I ask ya somethin’?”

“Now?” she asked with a light chuckle.

“Um, don’t think I caught your last name,” he muttered.

“Oh,” she laughed.  “It’s, um…Peletier.”

“French?”

“I don’t know,” she laughed.  “It’s my ex-husband’s name.”

“Oh,” he muttered.  “Mine’s Dixon, by the way.”

“It’s nice,” she replied, laughing as he buried his face against her breasts.  “Anything else?  Wanna know my favorite flower?  My birthday?  Hobbies?”

“Stop,” he snorted, before he silenced her laughter with a hot kiss.  In moments, her hand was reaching between them, sliding around his cock, and he groaned at the sensation as she gave him a little squeeze.  She wriggled her hips, panting as she helped him line up, and then he slid home in one slow, satisfying motion. 

“Oh God,” she groaned out, burying her face against his neck.  “Oh, Daryl.  Oh, fuck!” 

Being inside of her was better than he’d imagined, and the second he was fully inside of her and her slick, hot walls were pulsing around him, he felt like he might explode.  The way she held onto him, the way her legs wrapped around his, the way she moaned and begged him to fuck her, it was almost too much.

He gripped her hips, finding the right angle, thrusting into her, letting his racing heart set the pace, and she cried out, scratching her nails down his arms, body trembling beneath his.  And he kissed her, kissed the hollow her throat and the patch of skin between her neck and her shoulder, gently nipping with his teeth until she was writhing beneath him.

“Please, don’t stop,” she bit out, bringing her hands up, wrapping her arms around his neck.  And then he rolled her, rolled onto his back as so she was on top, and she blinked down at him in surprise before moving her hands to his chest and taking control, riding him and setting her own pace, watching the way his head fell back against the pillow and his hands moved up to her waist, helping her slide up and down his shaft as she rolled her hips against his.

 And the closer he got, the more insistent his thrusts became, and when she was coming over the edge again, he finally let himself go, thrusting through it until his body was spent. 

He rolled off of her, panting as he lay staring at the ceiling, and then he felt her hand on his chest, and he couldn’t help but warm under her touch. 

“That was amazing,” she moaned, kissing his shoulder as he shifted to deposit the used condom in the wastebasket.

“Jesus,” he panted, running his hands through his hair.    He glanced over, watching as she covered her face with her hands, shoulders shaking, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell if she was laughing or crying.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe we did that,” she finally choked out, peeking over at him before she lowered her hands.

“I can’t believe this whole fuckin’ day,” he snorted.  “Before a few hours ago, my plans were to have a few beers and crash on the couch all weekend.”

“And I was going to spend my kid-free Friday night cleaning the house.  This was much more fun.”  She laughed then, sitting up and turning toward him.  She leaned over then, kissing him before she crawled over him and straddled his waist.  “I should go.”

“Now?” he asked, as his hand slid up her smooth thighs.

“I haven’t had a date since I dated my husband, Daryl.  I don’t know how to do this anymore.”  Daryl grinned at that. 

“Well, you’re off to a good start.”

“Stop,” she laughed

“How the hell you gonna get home, anyway?”

“Oh, right,” Carol murmured sheepishly.  “You probably don’t feel like driving me.”

“You could stay here tonight.  That sounds like more fun.”  Carol laughed then, and she sighed, pouting her lips for a few moments before finally flopping back onto the bed next to him.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” she offered with a smile. 

“And then tomorrow I gotta explain to my best friend that I did some really dirty things with his date.”

“Oh,” Carol laughed, “something tells me he won’t be too heartbroken.”

“Good,” he chuckled.   “C’mere.”  He laced his fingers into her hair, tugging her down for another kiss.  She smiled against his lips, hands sliding over his chest before she relaxed against him and let him take over, kissing her slowly, sweetly, putting a spark to the embers, awakening a hunger she wasn’t sure could ever be fully sated.

~*~*~*~*~*

_How’s Andre?_

_He’s fine.  Idiot babysitter was freaking out for a 99 degree temperature.  He’s fine.  I’ll check him in the morning._

_Good.  I’m glad._

_Are you home?_

_Uh…no.fire_

_Oh?  Oh, do tell!_

_I ended up with little black dress scenario #2._

_Oh, you didn’t.  Not in the bathroom?!_

_No.  He took me to his place. Oh, did I mention that he’s a fireman?_

_Oh!  Very nice.  Did he let you slide down his pole?_

_Among other things._

_Oh, now I’m rubbing off on you!  So why aren’t you in there enjoying your sexy redneck fireman?_

_I had to pee.  Hey, if you don’t hear from me by tomorrow, it’s because I’ve died of happiness.  Or too much sex._

_I hope it’s a lethal combination of both!  Love you!_

_Love you too, Mich._

Carol quickly tucked her phone into her purse and put it down into the pile of her clothes she’d thrown by the hamper for quick dressing in the morning.  When she walked out of his bathroom, she found him half-asleep under the covers.  Biting her lip, she debated whether or not the right thing to do was just dress and slip out and avoid an awkward morning.  She’d only intended to go on a double date and get out of the house.  Instead, she’d ended up leaving with her date’s best friend and having the best sex of her entire life. 

She was naked, exposed as she walked across the room, but she could feel his sleepy eyes on her.  The second she crawled under the covers, she felt his hand on her lower back, and she felt that familiar stirring deep inside, and her blood felt hot in her veins.

“I don’t really know what to say,” she admitted, settling back down against the pillow.  “I’ve never done… _this_ before.”  She chewed her lower lip.  “Don’t get me wrong.  I had fun.  I just…”

“I know.  Me too,” he chuckled.  Just as she was leaning over to kiss him again, her cell phone rang from her purse in the bathroom.

“Oh,” she groaned. 

“Don’t answer it,” he urged, sliding his hand down her back and over her ass.

“I have to,” she chuckled.  “It could be my kid.”

“Right,” Daryl murmured, kissing her softly.  He let her wriggle out of the bed again, and she disappeared into the bathroom.  Minutes later, she reappeared with a slight pout on her lips.

“Apparently this is the night for calls about your sick kids.”

“Your kid ok?”

“Yeah,” Carol murmured.  “But my ex said she threw up a little bit ago and is asking for me.  It’s his weekend, but I know we’ll all be happier if she comes home with me.”

“Alright,” he said with a nod.  “I’ll drive ya home.”

“I’m sorry,” she offered. 

“It’s alright,” he assured her, slipping out of bed and tugging on some jeans.  “Just one thing.”

“Yeah?” she asked, as he bridged the gap between them, sliding his hands over her waist. 

“Can I have your number so we can do this again sometime?”

“Absolutely,” she laughed, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him one more time.  He brought his hands up to cup her face, drawing her in deeper, kissing her softly, fully, hungrily.  And it was in that moment that she knew she knew that somehow, she would never be able to get enough.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Back to Reality

“Sweetie, are you sure you don’t want to come home?” Carol asked, smoothing Sophia’s hair back as the little girl lay in her bed at her dad’s house.

“I’m sure, Mommy,” Sophia said gently.  “I feel better, and Daddy said he’d take me to the zoo tomorrow.”

“Okay,” Carol said with a little smile.  “But if you change your mind, you have daddy call me, ok?”

“I will,” Sophia promised.

“Ok, give me a hug,” Carol whispered.  Sophia sat up and wrapped her little arms around Carol’s neck.  “Mommy loves you so much.”

“Love you too, Mommy.”  She gave Carol a kiss on the cheek, and Carol tried to fight back the tears that always threatened to spill whenever she had to leave her little girl for the weekend.   Carol finally let her little girl go, and Sophia snuggled up under her blanket.  Carol stood then and turned to leave, finding Ed leaning against the wall with his hands stuffed in his pockets. 

He followed her out into the hall, and Carol ran her hand through her hair, shaking her head.

“Thanks for calling me,” she said quietly.

“Thought you’d wanna know, but she only got sick once.  Maybe her dinner didn’t agree with her.”  Carol leaned against the wall and closed her eyes for a minute.  “You ok?”

“This is the first time she’s not been with me when she’s sick,” Carol pointed out.

“Hey, she’s in good hands.  I’m her dad, remember?  I might’ve been a shitty husband, but I think I’m a pretty good dad.”

“You are,” Carol replied with a sigh.  “I just hate this.  I feel helpless.”

“Go home. I’ve got this under control.”

“You still have the pediatrician’s number?”

“On the fridge.”

“Maybe I should stop at the store and bring you some Pedialyte.”

“Got some in the kitchen.”

“Really?” Carol asked, quirking an eyebrow.  “I’m impressed.”

“Just because you ain’t there to remind me all the time doesn’t mean I don’t remember what to do,” he replied with an eye roll.  “I’m not a complete idiot.”

“You’re right,” Carol conceded with a yawn.  “I should go.”

“You ok to drive home?  You look tired.”

“I’m fine,” she replied.  “Long night.”

“Oh?” Ed asked. 

“Oh,” she smirked.  “And that’s all you get.”  Ed couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his throat, and he shrugged his shoulders.

“Fair enough.  But can I make a request?”

“What’s that?”

“Before you bring another man around, can you at least let me meet the guy?  I wanna know who my kid’s spending time with.”  Carol paused for a moment and raised an eyebrow.  “Has Sophia _ever_ come home talking about another woman at my place?”

“No,” Carol said quietly. 

“Because I’m not dating yet.  But when I am, I’d do the same for you.”

“You know what?” Carol asked with a little smile.  “I like you so much more now that we’re not married.”  Ed rolled his eyes, and Carol turned toward the door.  “Fine.  It’s a deal.”

“So there’s a guy?”

“Shut up, Ed,” Carol snorted.

“I knew it.  Oh, you’re blushing.”

“I am not!”

“You are,” Ed laughed. “Well, whoever he is, you seem happy.”  Carol sighed then, unable to suppress the smile that pulled at her lips.

“I’m not dating anybody, Ed.  But when I do, when it’s serious, yes, you can meet him, ok?”  Ed narrowed his eyes at her briefly, and she rolled her eyes right back at him.    “I’ll have my cell on if you need me, ok?”

“Alright.  Better run.  He’s probably waiting.”

“You’re such an asshole.”

“Yeah, you told me that all the time when we were married.”  Carol crinkled her nose then and tried to think of a good comeback, but the truth was that she was tired and ready to crawl into bed and think about everything that had happened since the restaurant.  So, she just shook her head and walked away. 

“Bye, Ed.  Thanks, again.”

*~*~*~*

Carol sighed as she slipped into the hot bath water.  It was nearly four in the morning, but she was finally ready to wind down.  The nice thing about childless weekends were that she could actually sleep in, though she knew she probably wouldn’t sleep a minute past nine.  That was just the way her body worked.  She was used to being up early, and sleeping in was a luxury her internal clock just wouldn’t allow.

She was sore.  Her muscles ached, and it wasn’t until she’d stripped down and looked at herself in the mirror that she’d noticed the small bruises peppering her collarbones.  He’d left her with hickeys.  Four of them, to be exact, and she felt like she was seventeen again.

When the hot water had hit her skin, she’d just sunk into it, letting it envelop and surround her, washing away the sweat and soothing the ache.  And when she finally had a moment to lay her head back and close her eyes, her mind wandered back to him and those blue eyes, the way his hands were impossibly gentle despite being rough with callouses. 

It had been so long since she’d actually felt the kind of intense attraction she’d felt the second she’d laid eyes on him from the parking lot.  She’d felt foolish at first, and then she’d bumped into him coming out of the bathroom.  Then she’d sat near him at the dinner table and felt the way his gaze would move over her from time to time.  She’d found herself feeling heated far more than was probably healthy, but it had felt good to feel desired like that.  She hadn’t seen Ed look at her like that since the early days of their relationship. 

Honestly, it hadn’t been something that either one of them had done.  They’d just fallen out of love with one another somewhere down the line, and now that they were divorced, Carol felt this newfound freedom to explore herself, to push the boundaries of everything she’d known and felt about herself.  Now, all she could think about was how tonight had happened out of the blue.  Nobody could have told her that she’d end up going home with a gorgeous fireman and having her world rocked like nobody had ever rocked it before.

Her heart raced, and her hand trailed down under the water and between her legs, and she gasped softly at the ache as she touched herself.  She bit her lip and moaned softly, squeezing her eyes shut as she remembered the way he’d kissed her, the way he’d done things to her with his tongue that she’d never felt before. 

And then, just as things were really starting to feel good, her cell phone buzzed from where it sat atop the toilet seat lid.  She frowned and quickly dried off one hand before grabbing the phone.  It was a text, and she bit her lip, unable to control the grin.  She opened the message and read it with bated breath.

COULDN’T SLEEP.  JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU I’M THINKING ABOUT YOU.

She sighed softly and was suddenly not the least bit tired.  She made a snap decision and quickly hit the phone icon before bringing her phone to her ear.

“Hello?”  His voice was low, a bit gravelly with exhaustion, and Carol smiled at the sound.

“I’m still awake,” she murmured.

“How’s your kid?”

“She’s fine.  Still at her dad’s.  She decided she’d rather go to the zoo tomorrow than come home with me.”  With a sigh, she absently splashed her free hand through the bath water. 

“What was that?”

“Hmm?”

“That noise.”

“Oh,” she chuckled.  “I’m in the tub.”

“So you’re naked?”

“I don’t normally bathe in my clothes, Daryl.”  A pause.  “I had fun tonight.”

“Me, too.  And, hey, thanks for giving me a ride home earlier.”

“Was kinda lookin’ forward to you stayin’ over.”

“Yeah,” she said with a little smile.  “Me too.  But maybe it’s better that I didn’t.” 

“Oh,” he said slowly.  “Maybe.”  He cleared his throat, and she swore she heard the start of an ignition.

“Daryl?”

“Yeah?”

“Where exactly are you right now?”

“Um…home.”

“You’re lying,” Carol snorted. 

“Alright, at the risk of sounding like a creep, I’m parked across the street from your house.  Just couldn’t stop thinkin’ about you, and I thought maybe we could go out for breakfast.”

“At four in the morning?  That’s not what you came here for.”  Daryl was silent then, and Carol popped the stopper out of the drain. “Give me two minutes, and you better be ready to work up an appetite.”


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Breakfast

She was out of that tub faster than was probably safe, and she didn’t even bother with clothes.  She just slipped into a fluffy white bathrobe and tore out of the bathroom and down the stairs.  Her heart raced in her chest as she struggled with the deadbolt, and the second the door was open, her hands were on his arms, and she was tugging him inside.  She reached back, slamming the door shut before she turned her attention fully on him, gazing up into his hazy blue eyes through the filtered light from the street light coming through the slats of the blind. 

His mouth was hot against hers, and his kisses were hungry and claiming.  She sighed the second he pressed her up against the wall, tugging at the sash on her bathrobe.  It fell open, and she gasped the second his hand grabbed the back of her thigh, draping her leg over his hip.  When he touched her, she sucked in a sharp breath, knees buckling when he pushed two fingers inside.

“You don’t—unh—waste any time, do you?” she panted, he buried his face against her chest, teasing her with his lips and tongue.

She was already wet, and she felt a little embarrassed that she could get so turned on so quickly, but then again, she’d already gotten started upstairs in the bath.  Still, everything about him seemed to turn her on.  From the scent of his skin, the way his hands moved over her, the way his lips clamped over her nipple and gave it a little tug.  She was already too far gone the second he pulled her back from the wall and let the robe fall to her feet.

Daryl quickly shrugged off his jacket and stepped out of his shoes, and Carol’s hands moved down his muscular arms before she was helping him tug his shirt over his head.

“This is probably a really bad idea,” she groaned, as his hand moved between her legs again, rubbing her, teasing her clit until she was whining against his lips. 

“Yeah,” he murmured.

“Condom?”

“Back pocket,” he grunted, as Carol slipped her hand into the back of his jeans, giving his ass a sturdy squeeze before she pulled out a couple of rubbers. 

“Just two?” she asked, pouting a little, before she unzipped his fly and stuck her hand down his pants.

“Greedy,” he chuckled, before her fingers curled around his dick.  “Fuck, I like greedy.”  He was on her again, and she was stroking him from base to tip, driving him absolutely wild as her tongue teased his in a kiss that promised so much more.   

As he fell into the kiss, she tore the condom wrapper and slid the latex over his dick, giving him a little nod before she brought her hands up to his shoulders.  He gathered her up, lifting her so she could wrap her legs around his waist.  The second her back was against the wall, he pushed inside, and she cried out.  Her head fell back, smacking against the wall.  His belt buckle clanged against the wall with each thrust, and Carol’s hands were in his hair, and it was as if some of his senses had been turned off and all he could smell was her, all he could taste was her mouth, all he could feel was her surrounding him, hot and wet, gripping him like a vice. 

His legs burned, and his skin was on fire as he melted into her, holding her up against the walls as her fingers knotted into his hair for purchase, holding on for dear life as he slid out and slammed home again. 

“Fuck,” she panted, nails digging into his scalp as he turned and walked her to the couch, nearly tripping over his pants that had unceremoniously pooled at his feet.  He swiftly kicked them away before pulling out and lowering her down onto the couch.

“This ok?”

“Frankly, you could fuck me on the floor, and I’d be ok with it,” she bit out, tugging him down over her, spreading her legs so he could crawl over her, quickly sliding home again.  He buried his face against her neck, sucking at the hollow as she tightened her legs around his hips, pulling him in deeper, closer. 

He gripped her hips, raising her up just enough to change things up, and she cried out when he hit that sweet spot so unexpectedly that he knocked the wind out of her for half a second. 

“Oh my God,” she panted.  “Right…there.”  She screwed her eyes shut, back arching off the couch as he fucked her. 

“So perfect,” he groaned against her neck.  He was dizzy, nearly blind with ecstasy as his heart raced in his chest.  He’d never felt this white hot desire for another woman before, this hunger for her, especially not after a first meeting.  But then she’d come home with him, and everything had spun out of control in the most amazing way.  And she was under his skin.  He craved her.  He knew he could be perfectly content buried inside of her forever.

*~*~*~*

“Hungry?” he asked with a chuckle, as they sat side-by-side in a small booth at a diner that made some of the best home-cooked breakfasts that Carol had ever tasted.

“Starving,” she murmured, taking another bite of the crisp bacon.  “Meanwhile, you’ve barely touched your food.”

“Not that hungry for food,” he admitted, hand sliding over her knee under the table.  Her face reddened, and she took a sip of orange juice to cool off.  He leaned in then, nipping at her earlobe with his teeth.  “Spend the day with me.  Your house or mine, I don’t care.  Just can’t get enough of you.”  She took another gulp of juice before turning her face toward his, letting him capture her lips in a possessive kiss. 

“This isn’t me,” she whispered, resting her forehead against his when she came up for air.  “At least I didn’t think it was.  I’ve never felt like this before.”  Her hand moved down his chest, gripping his semi-hard dick through his jeans.  He groaned then, shifting enough that his knee hit the underside of the table, getting a couple of stares from patrons that couldn’t see what she was doing to him under the booth table, thanks to his quick thinking.  He’d shoved his jacket over his lap, effectively covering her hand.  “All I know is, I like this.  I like you.”   She couldn’t help but chuckle. 

“What’s so funny?”

“All I wanted was a nice night out.  My first date since my divorce.  I never expected… _this_.”

“Any regrets?”

“None that I can think of,” she chuckled, sliding her hand up from under his jacket. 

“So, whaddya say?  Wanna spend the day with me?”

“We’re playing with fire here,” she pointed out.  “This is probably a bad idea.”

“Why?  ‘Cause I wasn’t your date last night?”

“No,” she laughed.  “Because this is…I don’t know.  I have baggage.”

“So?”

“I have a kid.”

“I love kids.”

“You do?”

“Well, no, but I don’t hate ‘em.”  Carol laughed at that and shook her head.  “I like _you_ , and I wanna spend time with you.  This don’t have to be a one-night stand, y’know.”  He moved his hand up her thigh.  “It don’t have to be anything but this if you don’t want.”  Carol took a shaky breath then, and she leaned in to kiss him. 

“So the whole day?” she asked when she pulled back.

“Maybe the whole weekend,” he offered.

“I work long hours three days a week, I have a kid.  I have her next weekend.  I don’t know what I’m ready for just yet.”

“You don’t gotta make a decision today,” he said with a shrug.  “Just come home with me.  We’ll see what happens.”

“And what exactly do you intend to do with me today?” she asked with a little chuckle.  He leaned in, nibbling her earlobe again. 

“Lots of things that involve you naked.”

“Oh, that’s promising,” she laughed.  Then, with a sleepy smile, she nodded her head. “Alright.  But we probably better take some of this breakfast to go.  Sounds like we’re going to need to keep our strength up.”  Daryl snorted at that, and then he went rigid next to her.

“Shit.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh, I’ll be right back.”  She followed his gaze toward the diner door where Rick Grimes had just walked in wearing his uniform.  It was a little funny, she noted as Daryl walked away, that she honestly couldn’t see what she’d seen in Rick Grimes the day before.  Yes, he was handsome.  He certainly cleaned up well.  But she was truly beginning to wonder if that whole double dating fiasco hadn’t been some karmic setup solely constructed so she could meet Daryl Dixon and begin this adventure that made her heart race and her blood run hot through her veins.

She watched anxiously as Daryl tapped on Rick’s shoulder, and from that moment on, she wished she could be a fly on the diner counter, because she was dying to know exactly what they had to say to each other.  The second Rick glanced her way, she wasn’t sure if she should get up and walk over or slide under the table and die.  But she sat there, watching as Rick turned his attention back to Daryl, and within a few minutes, the two were walking over together.

“Mornin’,” Rick said with a little smirk, leaning against the diner table.

“Um, good morning, Rick,” she murmured, glancing at Daryl, who looked a little red-faced.

“So, I was thinking,” he said slowly, “about last night…”  _Oh dear God._

“Yeah?”

“Your friend Michonne?  You think she’d mind if I asked you for her number?”  Carol sat there, processing the request for a moment before she looked at Daryl and then back at Rick with a smile. 

“Um, no.  No, I don’t think she’d mind at all.”  With that, she quickly jotted down Michonne’s cell phone number and passed it over to Rick.  “I think she’d love to hear from you.”

“Great,” Rick beamed.  “Thanks, Carol.  I’m, uh, I’m glad Daryl was there to give you a ride home last night.  I wasn’t even thinking.”

“That’s fine,” Carol replied with a smile.  “He got me home just fine.”  She cleared her throat and tried to hide the blush in her cheeks to no avail. 

“Good,” Rick said with a nod, clearing his throat.  “Well, you two have a, uh, a good day.  Stay safe out there.”  With that, he ducked his head and started off toward the front of the diner to buy a cup of coffee.

“Stay safe out there?” Daryl muttered.  “Sorry ‘bout him.  He’s weird when he falls for somebody.”

“Michonne?”

“God, he’s like a teenage girl obsessed with a boy band.”

“Oh,” Carol laughed.  “He’s got it bad, huh?”

“Yeah.  I know the feelin’.”  Carol grinned at that and rolled her eyes.

“Smooth,” she laughed.  “So, you were saying something about getting me naked all weekend?”

“All weekend?  Yeah?”

“Oh, I’m up for it.  Are you?”

“Always,” he replied with a grin.  “C’mon.  Let’s go get you naked.”


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Bliss

Carol gasped as Daryl sunk into her.  Her thighs clenched around his waist, and she arched back against the mattress on her bed before wrapping her arms around his neck and biting back a cry against his shoulder.  He rocked his hips against hers slowly, pulling out before thrusting back home, and when Carol’s head fell back against the pillow, he pressed hot kisses along her throat and jaw before kissing her lips.

The trip to the pharmacy for a fresh pack of condoms had been almost too much for either of them to take.  The constant glances at one another in the car on the way home and almost resulted in a fender bender at a red light, sobering them both briefly from the hot, piercing desire they both felt for one another long enough to get them back to Carol’s place safely.

They’d wasted no time getting right down to it, and he’d had her out of her clothes before they even made it upstairs to her room.  Only, he’d taken his time with her, exploring her body with his lips and tongue, memorizing the places that really got her moaning. 

He’d held out as long as he could, and now that he was inside of her again, he felt every fiber of his being tensing with the need to hang on for dear life.  He wanted to make love to her, to show her this was more than just some animal thing.  He wanted her, yes, but there was something more there.  From the second he’d first looked into those bright, blue eyes, it had hit him like a tidal wave.  She was special, and he wanted her to feel that.

Her hands ghosted down his back, gasping against his mouth as her body trembled with each thrust.  Her walls squeezed around him, and when he groaned, his body hummed, and she felt it deep inside.  Her thighs clenched again, and she kissed his neck before biting his earlobe.  Her hands moved down his waist and over his ass, squeezing him before she rocked her hips upward, encouraging him to go a little faster. 

His hand fumbled between them, sliding down to tease her clit as he pushed a little faster.

“Fuck,” she gasped, hands dropping to the mattress to grip the sheets.  “Daryl!”  She was sensitive, almost painfully so, but he eased the pressure of his thumb, and she bit her lip, crying out as he pulled almost completely out and thrust home again.  It almost took her breath away, and a few more thrusts had her flying.

He slowed again, pulling back to watch the blush fade from her face and neck.  Her breasts rose and fell with each quick breath she took, and he couldn’t help but feel dizzy watch the rosy peaks, slick with their mingled sweat, harden against the cool air as she fought for composure.  Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, and he watched the way her brows furrowed.  He slowed then, pausing, buried inside of her, fingers shaking as he gripped her hips.

“Why’d you stop?” she whined, eyes shut tight as her hips bucked against his. 

“Open your eyes,” he bit out, panting as he began to move again, slowly, gently.  Carol’s hands reached for him, and he chuckled.  “Open your eyes, sweetheart.”  He watched the blush fill her cheeks again, and then slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up at him, lips trembling as he began to move again, this time a little faster.  Her hands moved up his shoulders, meeting behind his neck, and she pulled him down for a kiss.  He gripped her behind the knee, nudging it up his hip a ways, changing the angle in a way that she was whimpering against his mouth, and when he walls tightened around him again, he pulled back to bury his face against her neck.  He thrust into her, faster and harder until he felt her melting around him, and when her body went rigid in his arms, he let go, collapsing on top of her, resting his sweat-slicked forehead against her chest, shaking and dizzy as the world seemed to spin around them both.

“You ok?” she asked him after a few moments.  Her fingers gently brushed through his hair, and he finally turned his face up, resting his chin between her breasts and grinning sleepily at her.

“Ain’t I supposed to ask you that?” he wondered.  She grinned and gently traced her fingers along the outline of his lips.  He took the tip of her thumb between his teeth, gently sucking there before nipping it with his teeth.  She grinned, and he finally rolled off of her to dispose of the used condom, and when he turned back to her, she was stretching out against the mattress, sleek and naked and perfectly relaxed.

“If this is what you have planned for the entire weekend, we’re going to need water.  Stay hydrated.”  Daryl snorted at that.  “Or you might just kill us both.” 

Daryl moved closer, kissing her shoulder, bringing his arm over her, his hand resting against her side, his thumb making a lazy back and forth against the underside of her breast.  He studied her face, watching the way her eyelids fluttered shut for a moment, and he took the opportunity to move in, curling his lips around her nipple, gently sucking there, nipping at the hardened little peak.  She moaned, and her hand slipped into his hair, massaging the base of his skull, tugging there just enough to let him know she liked when he was doing. 

He rolled her onto her side, and she draped her leg over his hip, feeling him harden against her folds.  She bit her lip, moving her hips in quick little thrusts as he slipped against her folds.  Her clit ached, but the moment she began to grind herself against him, the fire sparked in her veins again, and her body began to respond in what was quickly becoming a very familiar way. 

His tongue and teeth were still torturing her in the most satisfying way, as his other hand teased and kneaded her other breast, pinching and plucking at the nipple before soothing over it with his tongue. 

“Christ,” she panted.  “Daryl.”  She reached blindly toward the nightstand, grabbing another condom. 

“Huh-uh,” he chuckled.

“Why?” she whined, tossing the packet down onto the mattress beside them.  “Please?”

“No, we ain’t gonna need it.” 

“Daryl,” she pleaded. 

“Just relax, baby,” he murmured, against her breast.  The pet name on his lips sounded out of place but sexy as hell at the same time.  She bit her lip and nodded, squeezing her thighs together as she continued grinding against him.  She let him roll her onto her back, and she trembled as his hands coaxed her legs apart.  He moved between them, his dick hard and aching for her as he struggled to lie down comfortably.  He adjusted himself, and then his mouth was on her.  Her hips rocked against his chin, as his tongue and lips teased the sensitive bud.  She began to pant, squeezing her eyes shut and gripping the sheets.  He was everywhere.  His hands caressed her hips.  His tongue teased and prodded and circled her.  The stubble on his chin added another interesting and erotic sensation, and then he was pushing two fingers inside, pumping them slowly as he feasted on her.  She cried out, shaking as she came, and he rested his chin on stomach as he watched her come down from another high.  “Beautiful.”

“Stop,” she whispered, covering her face with her hands.

“I mean it,” he murmured.  “So fuckin’ beautiful.” 

“What about you?” she asked then, bringing her hands down as Daryl moved to lie beside her again. 

“I ain’t beautiful,” he smirked.

“That’s not what I meant,” she chuckled, nudging his thigh.  “But just so you know, you’re beautiful to me.”  She smiled then, moving to straddle his waist.  Her legs felt like jelly, but there was no way she wasn’t going to repay the favor.

He bit his lip when she put her hands on his chest, and his hands moved up her waist and over her breasts as she arched back.  She was glistening with sweat.  Perfect.  Beautiful.  She looked down at him like he was everything, and he felt something tug in his chest.  He’d never felt anything like this with anyone before.  He had to force himself to believe it was the newness of it all, the fact that it had been a while for the both of them.  Surely it wouldn’t be like this always.  He surely couldn’t have it that good.  He’d never been a lucky man.  But damn, looking at her like this made him feel like he could stay like this the rest of his life and never need for any other thing.  Just her.

She smiled, leaning down to kiss his chest.  And then, she was kissing lower, moving down, kissing his stomach as the muscles jumped there.  His hips jerked in realization, and before he had a chance to blink, her lips surrounded him, and her tongue teased the head of his cock, and the warmth and suction was almost too much for him.

“Fuck,” he bit out, sucking in a sharp breath as she took him in as far as she could.  She curled her hand around the base of his dick, controlling how much she took in as she moved, squeezing him with each stroke of her tongue.  “Carol.  Fuck!”  She looked up at him, smiling around his dick, gently grazing her teeth along the head, and his head slammed back against the pillow.  He wasn’t going to last, and he knew it, and the second her other hand moved to squeeze his balls, he reached out for her.  “I’m gonna…”  She hummed around him then, pulled back, and that was it.  He would have been pretty fucking embarrassed about shooting all over her stomach and breasts if it wasn’t for the fact that she looked really fucking turned on.  He stared up at her for a moment, and then she grinned at him.  “Holy hell, woman.  That was…”  She smiled then, almost proud, and she ran a finger through one of the stick trails upon her skin.

“Come on,” she whispered seductively, her gaze sleepy and satisfied, “help me wash up.”  She quirked an eyebrow at him before scrambling off the bed and moving to the en suite bathroom.  She turned in the doorway, and he leaned up on his elbows to get a look at her in all of her glory.  Christ she was everything.  “You coming?”

“Yeah,” he murmured.  “Right behind ya.”  She grinned and hurried to turn on the shower.  He fell back against the mattress again, struggling to catch his breath as his body thrummed with a rekindling desire.  He was sure, in that moment, he would spend the rest of his life craving her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, guys, I can't believe it's been 2 years since I updated this story. I came across it again today, and I re-read it, and I just had to continue. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, even if it is extremely late.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Getting to Know You

“So much for that shower,” Carol chuckled, as Daryl placed a soft kiss to her forehead.  They lay facing one another, and she had one leg draped over his hip.  He had one arm around her, fingers gently caressing the back of her neck.  His other hand was sliding down her hip, memorizing every dip and curve before moving to slide against her slick folds.  She moaned softly, lips parting to suck in a sharp breath. 

“You ok?”

“Yeah,” she promised.  “A little sore.”  Daryl started to move his hand away, but she clamped her thighs around his hand.  “Don’t you dare stop touching me.”  Daryl caught the fire in her eyes, and his cock twitched against his thigh.  “Just be gentle.”  Daryl nodded then, murmuring something that got lost against her lips.  He began to stroke her, teasing her damp folds as he caught her bottom lip between his teeth.  He gave it a little tug before pulling back.  She chased the kiss with a hungry mouth, teasing his tongue with her own as he pushed two fingers inside of her, slowly stroking her as she rocked her hips against his hand.

“You like that?” he asked between kisses, watching her eyes roll back at the sensation. 

“Mmm,” she moaned.  “Don’t stop.  God, please, don’t stop.”  She pulled her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, wanting to feel him against every part of her.  “Please don’t stop.”  She arched back, and he trailed hot kisses along her neck and collarbone, before he took a rosy nipple between his teeth, gently biting down before soothing it over with his tongue.  He toyed with it for a moment, before he latched on and began to suck, slowly rolling his tongue over it before moving showing her other breast the same sweet torture.

It wasn’t long before she came, clenching around his fingers before he slid them out of her and lay back to watch her come down from her high.

When her eyelids fluttered open, she found him staring at her with a grin on his face.

“What?” she panted, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

“You’re beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she smiled, leaning into kiss him.  She shivered, and he pulled her in close, kissing her slowly, softly until she pulled back and rested her forehead against his.  “I can’t believe all of this happened because I met Rick Grimes at the grocery store.”  Daryl snorted at that.

“Remind me to thank him later,” he chuckled.  Carol grinned brightly before pulling away and sitting up.  “Where ya goin’?”

“I’m starving,” she laughed. 

“You always hungry after sex?”

“No,” she offered.  “But I’ve had more sex in the last 24 hours than I’ve had in the last 24 months.  I’ve worked up quite an appetite.”  She pulled a silky white robe around herself, and she started for the door.  She turned, and the robe spilled open just enough to reveal her breasts.  She moved to tie it back up, but the way he was staring at her from the bed made her tingle.  She dropped her hands and leaned against the door frame.  “Want something sweet?”

“I can think of a few things,” he offered with a grin.  Carol blushed then, and she gave him a little wink.

“I’ll be right back.”

She returned about five minutes later with a big bowl of vanilla ice cream covered in chocolate syrup.  She took a bite after she plopped back down on the bed, and she turned to look at him.  “Want some?”  She took another bite, and Daryl leaned in, catching her in a sweet, cold kiss.  She giggled against his mouth, and the spoon clattered into the bowl.  “Careful!  We’ll make a mess.”

“I’ll buy you new sheets,” he promised.  Carol laughed then, and she let him trail sticky kisses down her neck. 

“Here.  Have some,” she urged, as he pulled back to look at her.  She lifted the spoon to his lips, and he took a bite, never taking his eyes off of hers.  When he licked his lips, she felt a surge run straight to her core. 

She had never felt like this before.  Even with Ed in the early years of their relationship, she hadn’t wanted sex like she wanted it now.  Maybe it was because she was a little older, a little wiser, a little more in tune with the things that made her feel good.  Maybe it was because she hadn’t had sex in such a long time.  Whatever the reason was, she was aroused and a little frightened by it at the same time.  She barely even knew the man, but she knew she wanted him.  She knew he made her feel things nobody else had ever been able to make her feel.

A drop of ice cream fell from the spoon and onto Carol’s thigh, and without hesitation, Daryl leaned down to lick the sweet, sticky substance from her skin.  Carol trembled with Daryl’s head in her lap, and she quickly set the bowl aside, as he spread her out before him and teased her sensitive flesh with his tongue.

“Fuck,” she moaned, arching back against the pillows as Daryl’s tongue swirled around, making her body feel light and warm all over. 

“You gonna come for me?” he asked, his words vibrating against her core.  She gasped, and Daryl squeezed her thighs.  “You wanna come?”

“Please.  Daryl.  I need you.”  She cried out softly when he sucked her clit between his lips, and her hips bucked off the bed, knocking him against the chin.  He placed his hand against her stomach, easing her back down against the mattress, and it wasn’t long before her legs were shaking and her juices were coating his chin as she came down from another orgasm.

“You taste like honey,” he chuckled.

“I doubt it,” she laughed.

“You don’t believe me?” he asked, kissing his way up her stomach.  He was insatiable, and she loved every minute of it. 

“No,” she laughed.

“You ever tried it?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“Have I ever gone down on a woman?  No,” she laughed.  “You into that kinda thing?”  Daryl smirked at that, and she giggled.  “Can’t say I have the desire to.  I think I’ve got my hands full with you as it is.”  She laughed when he kissed her again, and she tasted herself on his tongue.  “I’m a one man woman, just so you know.”

“Yeah?” he asked. 

“Hmm.”

“You gonna let me be that man?” he asked.  She arched an eyebrow. 

“You’re awfully confident.  You must not get turned down very often, hmm?”

“Would it surprise ya to know I don’t date that much?” he asked.  Carol sat up a little, wrapping a sheet around herself.  She cast a wayward glance at the melted conglomeration of ice cream and syrup on the nightstand before turning her gaze back to him. 

“Yeah, actually.  I mean, you’re gorgeous.  You sure as hell talked your way into my pants after, what, an hour?  My resolve was pretty steady until you came along.”  Daryl chuckled at that. 

“I’ve been with women.  More than a few.  Ain’t never found nobody that does the things to me that you do.  And I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout what you did in the shower.  Christ, woman, where’d you learn that, anyway?”

“My marriage was falling apart, and as a last ditch effort, I started trying some things I read about in Cosmo.  Maybe we’d still be married if he liked it as much as you did,” she joked.

“He’s a damned fool for leavin’.”

“He didn’t leave,” she pointed out.  “Well, yes, he did, but we made the decision together.  It wasn’t like he just up and left one day.  We’re better off as Sophia’s mom and dad.  We get along a lot better now.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she offered, kissing him.  “Things are better now.”  She eyed him.  “You’ve never been married?”

“Nah.  Ain’t never found nobody I wanted to spend that much time with.  ‘Cept you.”  He watched her shoulders tremble when she took in a deep breath.  “That scare you?”

“Scare?  No.  But you hardly know me.  A week from now, who knows?”  Daryl grinned.

“A week from now, I’m still gonna want this.”  Carol couldn’t help but smile at that admission. 

“Well, we’ll see about that.”  She kissed him again. 

“You think I won’t?”

“I’m saying we met last night, and we had a connection, and we had some really great sex.  It’s really great.  Amazing, even.”  She watched the smile twitch at the corners of his mouth.  “I’ve got a kid, Daryl.  I can’t just play around.  If I’m going to let someone in my life like this, I want to know it’s going somewhere, you know?”  Daryl brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.  “I’m getting ahead of myself, I know.  I should stop.”

“Hey,” he murmured.  “You’re beautiful when you’re flustered.”

“I’m not flustered.”

“Yeah, I think ya are.  A little.”  He kissed her again. “Look, I ain’t gonna lie.  I ain’t never had a serious relationship.  I’ve had a few one night stands.  I’ve dated casually.  Hell, I’ve had a couple women that I screwed around with.  But I’ll tell ya somethin’ now.  You do somethin’ to me.  Somethin’ I can’t even explain.  Christ, I felt somethin’ the second you stepped on my foot in that restaurant.  Somethin’ about you made this easy.”  Carol quirked an eyebrow.  “I didn’t mean it like it sounded.  M’sayin’, I ain’t never clicked with someone like that.  Bein’ with you came easy.  Felt right.  Just talkin’ you know?  And you were interested.  Ain’t never had nobody look at me the way you looked at me at that table.”  Carol smiled then. 

“You were cute.  So quiet and reserved.  Then you took me back to your place, and it was like somebody lit a fire under you.  I’m not complaining.  I wanted it.  And then I craved it.  I’ve never been…insatiable before.”  She sighed when he leaned in and kissed her.  

“So, ya think ya might keep me around a while?”

“Yeah, I think I might,” she laughed.  “But you’re going to have to give me time, ok?  I’ve got a kid, and I can’t confuse her with meeting someone new until I’m sure…”

“I get it,” Daryl offered, cutting her off.  “Ya don’t gotta explain that to me.  It’s your kid.  She comes first.”  Carol smiled then.  “Next weekend…”

“Next weekend, Sophia will be here.  But I’m off Tuesdays and Thursdays, too.  I’ll call you.”  Daryl nodded then, and he started to get out of bed.  “Wait, where are you going?”

“We’re going back to the shower.  We’re a damned mess.  Then I’m takin’ you out.”

“What happened to keeping me naked?” she asked teasingly. 

“We gotta eat, right?  C’mon, I wanna take you out.  Last night ain’t gonna be our first date.”

“Oh really?” Carol asked, quirking her eyebrow.

“Nope.  I’m gonna do it right.  ‘Cept, I really hope it ends like last night did.”

“Oh, I think that can be arranged,” she laughed, as he extended his hand to her.  She took it and got out of bed, following him eagerly back to the shower with a little bit of a spring in her step and a smile on her face.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't lie. I'm a little bummed I haven't gotten a review on the newest chapters, but I can see people are reading. I hope you are enjoying! More coming soon!

Chapter 7: Trust

“Hi, baby.  Are you feeling better?” Carol asked, standing next to her bed and looking down over the outfit she’d settled on for the day.  Her cell phone was wedged between her ear and shoulder.

“Yes, Mommy.  I feel better.  Daddy made me pancakes with chocolate chips!”

“Oh, your favorite,” Carol chuckled.  “Are you going to the zoo?”

“Uh-huh,” Sophia chirped.  “I want to see the monkeys!”

“Oh, that sounds like fun.  You hold daddy’s hand and be good for him, ok?”

“I will, Mommy.”

“Good.  Let me talk to daddy now, ok?”

“Ok.”

“Love you, honey.”

“Love you too, Mommy!”  Carol heard static for a moment as the little girl handed the phone to her father. 

“Hey.  What’s up?” Ed asked with a cough.

“She’s really feeling better, or she’s pretending to feel better so she can go to the zoo?”

“Temperature’s normal, and she ate an extra pancake this morning.  I think she’s ok.  She’s the same Sophia this morning,” he promised.  Carol sighed.

“Well, the nurse in me knows everything will be ok, but the mom in me is still worried.”

“She so much as sniffles, we’ll turn around and come home,” Ed promised.  “You can join us if you want, if it’d make you feel better.”

“I already have plans, but thanks, Ed,” Carol chuckled. 

“Oh, so things are getting serious?” he teased.

“Oh, shut up,” she snorted.  “I’m not telling you anything.”

“So, what’s he like?”

“God, you’re as bad as Michonne!” Carol squawked.  Ed laughed, and Carol rolled her eyes at no one. 

“Alright, you don’t wanna talk about it.  That’s fair.  I don’t wanna pry.”

“Oh, sure,” Carol laughed.  “Hey, I gotta go.  Please watch her carefully, Ed.”

“I just thought I’d let her climb in with the polar bears.  What the hell, Carol?  I’m not an idiot.”

“You know what I mean,” Carol sighed.  “You just read horror stories about kids getting lost and…”

“She’ll be fine.  I won’t let go of her hand, you know, unless she wants to climb into the lion enclosure to make friends.” 

“Not funny, Ed,” Carol groaned.

“I’ve got this.  Sophia’s gonna be fine.  Stop worrying.” 

“Thank you.”

“You still picking her up after school Monday?”

“As always,” Carol promised.  “Will you _please_ walk her to the school doors?  I know she likes to walk in by herself, but sometimes she forgets she’s just five.”

“What’d I say?  I’ve got this.  Hell, I’ll walk her all the way to the classroom if I have to.  Stop worrying.   You’re a good mom, but I’m a good dad, too, and I won’t let anything happen to our girl.”

“You are a good dad, Ed,” Carol agreed.  “Thank you for that.”  Carol heard Sophia’s voice calling to her father, urging him to hurry so they could see all the animals, as if the animals would suddenly disappear by the time they got there. 

“I gotta go.  Enjoy your _date_ ,” he teased.

“You asshole,” Carol sighed.  “Have fun.”  She ended the call and stood there with a smirk on her face.  She shook her head and started to pull her clothes on, chuckling about how the best thing she ever did besides giving birth to Sophia was divorcing Ed, because in doing so, she’d created a much healthier childhood for her daughter.  Had they stayed married, she was certain only anger and resentment would have filled the house, and Sophia wouldn’t be the happy child she currently was. 

Just as she was slipping into her jeans, her phone rang again. She peeked down to see who was calling, and a grin spread over her face.

“Hey, Mich!” she called.

“You actually answered?  What’s up?  Where’s the hot fireman?” Michonne asked, as she sat across from Andre’s highchair, spoon feeding him his lunch with one hand and holding onto her phone with the other. 

“I’m getting dressed,” Carol pointed out.  She’d put her phone on speaker and set it aside so she could get ready.  “Daryl’s taking me out.”

“Oh?”

“He doesn’t want last night to be our first date,” she pointed out.  “As memorable as it was.” 

“I’m starting to feel a little jealous,” Michonne snorted.  “Maybe I should’ve given him a chance.”  At the choking sound Carol made on the other line, Michonne laughed.  “I’m kidding!  I’m glad you’re getting laid.”

“Well, if it helps, Rick asked for your phone number?”

“I know,” Michonne laughed.  “He called me an hour ago.”

“He doesn’t waste time, does he?  For what it’s worth, I think he’s really interested.”

“Yeah?” Michonne asked.  “I hope so.  I mean, there’s something about that tall, handsome cop type that does things to me.”

“He’s a little too scrawny for my taste,” Carol teased.

“Yeah, I imagine he’s got those bird legs,” Michonne giggled.  “I can’t wait to find out.”

“Bad girl,” Carol laughed, pulling her red blouse over her head.  She’d paired it with a pair of dark jeans and her favorite boots. 

“Speaking of bad girl,” Michonne mused, “when’s he moving in?”

“Oh, hush.  We’re having fun, and we’re going to see where it goes.  I promised Ed I wouldn’t bring him around Sophia until he had a chance to meet him first.”

“God, you guys have to be the healthiest exes I’ve ever met.  If only Mike and I could be that civil.  You know, Andre came home with a bag of Cheetos and a sugary, green drink the other day.  Mike’s flavor of the month gave my baby junk food.”

“Relax, Mich,” Carol urged.  “Remember, if Mike knows it pisses you off, it’s gonna happen all the more.  Andre is loved, and he knows it.  Just remember that you’re the bigger person.  Mike’s an asshole.”

“Yeah, the asshole I deemed worthy of fathering a kid with,” she sighed.  “So, tell me about Daryl.”

“Daryl?  Well…he went home to grab a couple of changes of clothes.”

“Oh?  He’s staying over?”

“For the weekend.”

“Go you!” Michonne cheered.

“God, you’re impossible.  Do you think it’s too fast?”

“Honestly?  You surprised the hell out of me.  I mean, I knew you felt something for him the second you spotted him, but I didn’t expect you to be shacking up with the guy after one night.”

“We’re not shacking up,” Carol insisted.  “I’m taking advantage of my kid-free weekend.  Does that make me a bad mom?”

“No!  If anything, it makes you a good mom.  You’re taking care of you, which is what you need.  You need a little you time.  You’ve devoted your life to your kid, and she knows you love her.  Now it’s time you devote a little bit of your life to meeting your own needs.  Sounds like Daryl’s doing a pretty good job of scratching that itch.”

“Oh, the itch is definitely getting scratched,” Carol giggled.  Michonne snorted, and Carol heard Daryl’s truck door shut.  She peeked out the window to see him heading up with a small duffel bag slung over his shoulder.  “Oh, hey, I gotta go let Daryl in.  I’ll call you later.”

“You better!  I want details.”

“Ha.  Goodbye!”  Carol quickly ended the call, finished dressing and hurried downstairs to let Daryl in.  His heated gaze had her head spinning the second he stepped into the foyer. 

“That was quick.”

“You look great,” he murmured, leaning in to give her a kiss before depositing his duffel bag on a chair. 

“Thank you.  You do, too.”  He was wearing a nice pair of jeans with a button down blue shirt.  He’d brushed his hair, and she could taste mint on his lips.  His gaze traveled from her face down to the dip in her shirt.  Just a small hint of cleavage was visible, but when he licked his lips, Carol felt as if her spine had turned to jelly.  How could the man turn her to mush with just a look?  “So?  Where are we going?”

“You ever been on a motorcycle?” he asked, slipping his hands around her waist.  She chewed her bottom lip for a moment and shook her head.  “Good.  I get to be there your first time.”

“What?  You’re taking me riding?”

“Got my bite on the back of my truck.”

“You…you brought it?” she asked, moving to peek out the window on the door.  Sure enough, a shiny silver and black motorcycle was in the truck bed.  “Daryl, I don’t know…”

“You trust me?”

“I hardly know you,” Carol chuckled.  She spun back around to face him, and Daryl grinned and tucked his fingers in her belt loops to tug her closer.  He kissed her then, slowly backing her up against the door.  Carol moaned against his mouth when he pressed up against her.  Her nipples were stiff little peaks, and she felt a hot surge rush down her spine and straight to her core.  He pulled back then, and he grinned when he saw the little pout on her lips.  “You hardly know me.”

“Know a few things, actually,” he murmured, pressing kisses to her neck.  She sighed, running her hands up and down his back.  “Know this.”  He nibbled on her earlobe, and her hands began to shake.  Her breath hitched in her chest.  “And this.”  His hands moved down her waist and hips and around to cup her ass.  He gave her a little squeeze and pulled her closer, grinding his erection against her.  The barriers of their clothes were almost painful.  “And this.”  His hand moved around, cupping her through her jeans, feeling the heat radiating there, wondering if she was soaking wet for him.

“Daryl,” she panted, feeling dizzy and like her legs might give out.  She clamped her thighs around his hand, trapping him there, and he chuckled, burying his face against her neck. 

“You wet for me, sweetheart?”

“Yes,” she panted.  “Fuck yes.”  She whimpered then when he wrenched his hand away.  “You tease.”  He snorted at that, and Carol brought her arms around his neck.  “You gonna make that up to me?”

“Yeah,” he promised, kissing her softly.  “You gonna ride with me?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, nodding her head.  She bit her bottom lip, and his eyes darkened. 

“Then what?”

“Hmm?”

“It’s your day.  Where you wanna go?”

“Hmm,” she pondered, sucking in a ragged breath when he nibbled against the hollow of her throat.  “I can’t think.”  She closed her eyes, sagging against the door, as Daryl held her up.  He kissed her again, slowly, deeply, drawing out another whimper. 

“You wanna eat?”

“No,” she chuckled. 

“You wanna watch a movie?”

“No,” she panted.

“Tell me what ya want.”

“I want…”  She buried her face against his neck, inhaling the scent of him, subtle hints of smoke and cologne.  Christ, she couldn’t get enough of him. 

“Know what I want?” he murmured, running his hands up her sides, sliding his thumbs over her pebbled nipples, leaving her arching against his hand.  “I wanna bury myself in you.  Wanna feel you, hot and wet, all around me.  So fuckin’ tight.”  His words were low and gruff and had her throbbing.  “You want that, sweetheart?”  She nodded.  “What do ya want?”

“You,” she panted.  “I want you to fuck me, Daryl.”  She found herself blushing, despite everything they’d done together in the last eighteen hours.  She wanted more, and she found she quite liked throwing her inhibitions out the window.  He made her feel things she’d never felt before, and God help her, she loved every moment of it.

“Yeah?  You want it now?”

“Please,” she panted.  She squirmed when his hand moved to cup her again, feeling the heat from her core through the fabric of her jeans. 

“I wanna know you’re wet for me.”

“I am.  For you,” she panted.  “Fuck, Daryl.  Touch me.”  He chuckled against her ear, taking a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her sweet shampoo. 

“Gonna take you for a ride.  Then we’re coming back here, and I’m gonna fuck you hard.  Fast.  Right here against this door.”  She nodded, head dropping low as he rubbed her through her jeans.  He found his hands shaking, unable to believe the words that were coming from his mouth.  She brought out the animal in him, and Christ, she was loving it.  And he was hard as a rock, hungry for her, eager to please her.  He’d never known himself to be a talker when it came to sex, but he loved the reactions he was getting out of her.  The more she panted and moaned and whimpered, the more he realized how much he could turn her on without barely even touching her.

His hands fell away from her, and she leaned toward him, nearly toppling over before she found the strength in her legs again. 

“You’re evil,” she panted.  “And very full of surprises.”  She fanned her hand in front of her face. 

“That ok?  The things I said? You liked it?”  She watched him shift his weight anxiously from one foot to another.  Carol grinned.

“Yeah, a little too much, I think.”  She saw the blush fill his cheeks, and that surprised her.  Her core was throbbing, and he’d barely touched her.  She felt her blood sizzling in her veins, and she was certain it wouldn’t take much to push her over the edge.

“You ready?” he asked, getting a weak nod from her. 

“C’mon.  This’ll be fun,” he promised, taking her hand.  His touch was gentle, and his fingers curled against hers. 

“I trust you,” she murmured softly.  A little grin quirked at the corner of his lips, and he led her from the house.  As she locked up, he got his bike down using a fold out ramp he’d rigged up in the back of his pickup.  He rolled the bike down onto the pavement, and Carol felt a shiver run down her spine.  She took a shaky breath, realizing just how fast everything was going.  It made her dizzy.  A good kind of dizzy.  She’d never met anyone like Daryl.  All she’d ever known was Ed, and that hadn’t worked out so well, and then Daryl had come along and exposed these little pockets inside of her that she hadn’t known existed.

“You nervous?”  His voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she realized he was ready to go.

“A little,” she admitted.  “You’re a fireman.  Thought you were all about safety.”  Daryl smirked and pulled a couple of helmets out of the back of his truck. 

“Ain’t worried ‘bout myself.  It’s the other asshole drivers you gotta look out for.  Don’t worry.  We ain’t goin’ nowhere busy.”  He leaned in and gave her a slow, lingering kiss.  She sighed softly against his lips, feeling her heart about to burst from her chest.  He nipped at her bottom lip with his teeth before soothing it over with his tongue.

“Ok,” she whispered, breaking the kiss and closing her eyes when he pressed his forehead against hers.  “But can we make it a quick ride?”

“You got it,” he promised, running his hand up and down her back.  “C’mon.  You’re gonna love this.”

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Ride

The first few minutes were scary for Carol who’d never been on the back of a motorcycle in her entire life.  But Daryl guided the bike effortlessly.  The first few times he turned a corner, she’d close her eyes until it was over.  But the longer they rode, the more comfortable she became, and though she held him tight as he turned or rounded a curve, she kept her eyes open, enjoying the view as they left the city behind and rode out onto the back roads.  He went without a map, turning down winding roads, pushing them deeper into the rural areas, passing very few cars along the way.

When they came to a pull off on the side of the road, Carol wasn’t sure she could walk.  Her legs felt tingly.  Her body was thrumming from the vibration of the motorcycle and from the way their bodies had been pressed together so closely during the ride.

“You ok?” he asked, sliding off first and taking his helmet off.  He helped her with hers and ran his fingers through her short hair, chuckling at how wide her eyes were, how exhilarated she looked. 

“That was amazing,” she murmured.  “Thank you.” 

“Wanna sit down?” he asked, pointing to a couple of picnic tables off in the grass. 

“This is random,” she chuckled.

“Nah, you’d be surprised.  Some of these roads stretch on for miles without a place to stop.  Sometimes ya just gotta pull over for a minute.”  Carol smiled then.

“Where’s the furthest you’ve traveled on a bike?” she asked, as Daryl put his hand to the small of her back and walked over to one of the tables.  They sat down with their backs to the table, and Daryl pulled his arm around her.  It felt good, and she snuggled into him a little, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Uh, Chicago,” he offered with a grunt.  “Rode up there after high school with some buddies of mine.”

“That’s a long drive,” Carol offered. 

“It was,” he agreed with a chuckle.  “Kinda rode around for a few months with ‘em.  They tried to get me to join a club.”

“What stopped you?”

“Wasn’t for me,” he offered with a shrug.  “I prefer ridin’ alone.  Well, I did, before today.”  Carol grinned at that.  “Came home and my buddy—you know Rick—got me interested in joinin’ the force.”

“The police force?” Carol asked.

“Yeah.  Wasn’t for me either.  I was workin’ in garages and makin’ money, but I became a volunteer firefighter.  Few years later, I got fully trained, got hired full-time after I took some pretty big risks, and here I am.”

“Isn’t it scary?” she asked.

“Scary.  Hot.  Horrible, sometimes.  Seen a lot of shit.”  He pulled a packet of cigarettes from his jacket pocket.  He pulled one out and pursed his lips as he lit up.  Carol watched him take a drag, and she slipped her hand into his. 

“You probably have women slipping you their number all the time,” she offered.  “You’re brave, sexy, and you look pretty damn good on a bike.” 

“Glad you think so,” he chuckled, taking another drag on his cigarette.  He pulled his arm around her shoulders, and she turned her face toward him with a smile.  “You said you’re a nurse.”

“Mmm.  I am.  I used to work long hours before my daughter was born.  But when she came along, I cut back on my hours.  I wanted to be there for her.  I made enough money to get by, and of course Ed has been great with child support.   Sophia and I are fine, and when she gets a little older, I’ll probably start working more.”

“So you get along with your ex-husband?”

“We’re not best friends or anything, but we’re really good at the co-parenting thing,” Carol offered.  “It wasn’t meant to be.  Just because we both married the wrong people doesn’t mean we can’t put our differences aside to make sure our daughter is happy.”

“Probably ought to be more folks that think that way,” Daryl offered with a nod.  “What about the rest of your family?”

“My parents are both gone.  It’s just me and Sophia.  We do ok.”  She gave him a little smile.  “What about you?”

“Just me, too.  Got an older brother out there somewhere.  Merle.  He was ten when I was born, so we weren’t close growin’ up.  Soon as he turned 18, he was gone, and I ain’t seen a whole lot of him since.  I know he was livin’ in South Carolina last I heard from him.  My folks split when I was four.  My daddy moved in with some waitress he was cheatin’ with, and he died of an overdose when I was nine.  My momma did her best.  Worked three jobs to keep food on the table.  She got sick after I got outta high school.  Died a few years back.”

“I’m sorry, Daryl.”

“Sorry your folks are gone, too.”  He felt her snuggle into him a little closer.  He flicked his cigarette to the ground and brought his hand to her cheek, turning her face toward his before pressing a soft kiss to her lips.  She smiled against his mouth, opening up to him for a moment, sighing when he pulled back and kissed her forehead.

“How many girls have you brought out here?” she teased, moving her hand down to his thigh, gently rubbing him there.  He cleared his throat as the warmth of her hand sent shockwaves through his system.

“None,” he offered.  “Just you.” 

“Sure.”

“Don’t believe me?”

“I just have a hard time believing a guy like you doesn’t date much.”

“Really don’t.  Told you that,” he murmured.  “Trust me.  I ain’t exactly had the best track record with women.”

“You said you had a couple of women you…you just screwed around with?”

“Yeah,” he murmured.  “Kind of a friends with benefits thing, though we weren’t exactly friends.”

“Oh,” Carol offered.  “You still see them?” He saw the blush in her cheeks.

“Nah.  Not for a while.  One got married, seems happy. The other one moved off to New York, met some guy there.”  He cleared his throat.  “Never cared about them like that.  But they never cared ‘bout me.  It was just sex.  Just scratchin’ an itch on both sides, I guess.  Probably makes me sound like an asshole.”  He cleared his throat.  “I never wanted nobody like I want you.”  He looked into her eyes, and the tips of his ears turned red.  “Somethin’ about you makes me feel…I dunno.  Confident.  Makes me feel like I can say the things I said to you.” 

“I like when you say things to me,” she giggled, as he nuzzled her ear with his nose.  “You can say more things.”

“Probably best get you home first,” he chuckled, sliding his hand between her thighs.  She gasped softly against his lips when he kissed her.  “You wanna keep goin’ or head back?”  His breath was warm against her lips, and Carol felt like the whole world was melting away around her. 

“I…oh… _god_.”  She moaned when he began to rub her through her jeans, and her head slumped against his shoulder.  “Daryl…”  In that moment, seemingly out of nowhere, a car passed by, and Carol gasped, eyes flying open, gaze snapping to the road.  “We should go.”

“Yeah?” he asked, trailing his lips down her neck.  She bit her lip and closed her eyes.

“Yeah.”  Daryl smirked then, and when Carol got up, he tugged her back down into his lap.  She giggled when his hands moved down her back and over her ass, and when he gave her a firm squeeze, she kissed him, trailing her tongue along his bottom lip.  “You better stop.”

“You want me to?”

“No,” she breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck.  “But I’m not fucking you on the side of the road.”  His hand moved between her legs again, and she bucked her hips, squirming on his lap.  “Fuck, Daryl!”  Her hand moved down his chest and over his stomach before cupping the hard bulge in his jeans.  He groaned the, trailing his tongue down her neck and to the dip in her shirt, teasing the tops of her breasts until she was scrambling to get off of him.

“Come on,” she panted, grabbing his hand. 

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“You have a condom?” she asked.   He nodded toward the motorcycle.

“Get it.” 

“You serious?”

“You seriously asking?” she asked.  Daryl shut his mouth so fast, he nearly bit his tongue.  He scrambled to the bike and rifled through the saddlebag to produce a shiny little packet.  He looked over his shoulder to find Carol slipping out of sight into a thick line of pine trees. 

He adjusted himself in his pants, groaning at the almost painful sensation.  He needed release, and she was willing, and he couldn’t fucking believe she was going to let him fuck her in the middle of nowhere.

He followed after her, coming to find her about thirty yards into the tree line.  She was fumbling with the button on her jeans, and her face was flushed, and when he came to her, he pressed her up against the tree and kissed her breathlessly.

“No time,” she panted, moving her hands to his pants and fumbling with the belt. 

“Thought you said we weren’t gonna do this on the side of the road.

“I don’t see a road.  Do you?” she asked, glancing around with a smirk. 

“Fuck, you’re amazing,” he panted, as Carol loosened his belt and tugged his pants down his ass.  She reached into his underwear, curling her hand around his cock, giving it a couple of pumps in her cool palm.  Daryl’s hips jerked at the sensation, and Carol took the condom from his hand, ripping the package and sliding the latex over his dick before she dragged her gaze up to meet his.  They stared at each other for a moment, panting and red-faced, before Carol turned and pulled her jeans and panties down, exposing her ass to him.  Daryl’s hands moved over her arms, pulling her hands up to rest on the tree trunk.  She moaned when he brought one hand between her legs, slipping his fingers through her slick heat.  “So fuckin’ wet.  You want me?”

“Yes,” she groaned, dipping her head low as Daryl pressed himself against her from behind.

“Tell me,” he panted.  She groaned in frustration and pleasure as he slid his cock against her folds, bringing one hand around to toy with her clit.

“Fuck!” she cried out.  “Daryl!” 

“So hot,” he panted.  “So wet for me.”

“Daryl, please,” she begged.  “Please.”

“Please what?”

“Please.  Please.  I need you.”  He leaned forward, trailing his tongue down the back of her neck, and she brought her arm back, caressing the back of his neck, pulling him closer.  “Please.  Now.”  He chuckled against her hair before grabbing his dick and lining up.  He slid into her fully in one quick stroke, and she cried out, bucking her hips back against him, urging him not to stop.  He only paused to gain his composure for a moment before he began to move, thrusting into her quick and hard and feeling her walls stretching and contracting around him.  His knees felt wobbly, and he pressed his hands above hers on the tree, slamming into her as she met his thrusts with equal energy.  He trailed one hand down her neck, stopping to squeeze a breast through the fabric of her shirt.  She cried out as he moved his hand down and toyed with her clit, teasing her as he fucked her.

“So tight,” he growled.  “God damn it.  Fuck, Carol!”  He felt her walls clamp down on him when she came, and he kept moving, feeling every fiber of his body coiling tight like a rubber band.  He slumped over her for a moment, slipping out of her, and she whimpered at his absence.  “Gotta see you.”  He was like an animal, clawing her jeans down her legs, pulling her boots off in the process.  She was trembling when he picked her up, holding her up against the tree.  “Put your legs around me, sweetheart.”  She did as he told her, and let out a cry when he slipped back inside.

“Daryl,” she panted, arching back as he slammed into her.  “Yes.  Oh God!”  Daryl captured her cries against his lips, gently biting down on her lower lip as he fought to hold on for her.  He gripped her ass, squeezing as he drove into her, and when she came again, he let go, holding her tight as he flew over the edge.

She sighed against his neck, untangling her legs from around his waist.  He chuckled against her hair as she pressed little kisses to the side of his neck.

He slowly slid out of her, rolling off the condom and tossing it aside before stuffing himself back into his pants. 

He noticed the red marks from his fingers on her thighs, as well as a bit of a scrape on the small of her back.  It wasn’t bleeding, but it was definitely a mark. 

“I hurt you?” he asked.

“Hmm?” she asked, tugging her panties and jeans back on before sliding her feet back into her boots.  He gently rubbed his thumb over the little red scrape, and Carol chuckled softly.

“It’s ok.  It doesn’t hurt.  Besides, what’s a little scrape among multiple orgasms?” Daryl snorted then, and Carol quickly ran her fingers through her hair.  “How do I look?”  She brushed some dried grass and leaves off of her pants.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, bringing her into his arms.  He rested his forehead against hers.  “Can’t believe we just did that.”

“Me neither,” she admitted.  “You do things to me that I just…”  She shivered.  “What are we gonna do?”

“We’re gonna go get some food.  We’re gonna go back to your place.  Then I’m gonna make good on my promise.”

“Your promise?”

“We ain’t even gonna make it to the bed.”  Carol laughed then, and she shook her head.

“You’re insatiable.”

“Says the woman who led me into the woods.”  He kissed her again, and she giggled against his lips.  When he pulled back, he cupped her cheek in his hand, rubbing his thumb against her bottom lip.  “You ready?”

“Mmm,” she hummed, smiling up at him.  “Take me home, Daryl.”


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Happy

Carol sighed contentedly as she lay on her stomach on the living room floor.  The second they’d walked into the door, Daryl had made good on his promise to take her right up against it.  She was sore and achy in the best possible way, and she was pretty sure that she was really going to be feeling it tomorrow.

She smiled when she felt his mouth on the back of her neck.  He leaned over her, trailing his tongue down the length of her back, nibbling at her salty skin, kneading her ass in his hands. 

“You’re insatiable,” she sighed, smiling when he came up to gently bite her earlobe.  “And I need a bath.”

“Can I join ya?”

“I think you should sit this one out,” she laughed.  She felt his tongue on her neck again, and she laughed.  “I mean it.”  She turned onto her back, and Daryl quickly dipped his head to take a nipple in his mouth.  She reached up, running her fingers through his hair.  “I’ll never get clean.”  Daryl snorted then, moving to tease her other nipple, and Carol arched her back.  “That feels good.”  She closed her eyes and moved her hand between her legs as he sucked at her breast.  Her clit was too sensitive, so she settled for stroking her slick folds, biting her lip and writhing her hips as she set a steady pace.

“Fuck, you’re amazing,” he panted, pulling back to watch her touch herself. 

“Daryl,” she panted.  “I want…”

“Tell me.”  He crawled over her, kissing her hungrily, nibbling her bottom lip before pulling back to stare at her.

“I want your mouth on me.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she moaned.  “Please.”

“Where do you want my mouth?”

“Daryl,” she whined, getting a grin out of him. 

“Here?” he asked, pressing his mouth against her neck.

“Mmm,” she hummed, moving her hand away from her pussy and bringing it to his lips.  He licked her fingers clean, tasting the tang of her juices.  Just watching his tongue move between her fingers had her core throbbing.  “Oh fuck.  Daryl, please.”

“Here?” he asked, kissing her shoulder. 

“Daryl!”  His hands moved down her hips, as he kissed down her chest and teased her nipples with his lips and tongue again.  “Oh God!”  She arched back again, and he chuckled, kissing her stomach. 

“Here?” 

“God damn it, Daryl,” she cried. 

“Wanna hear you say it, sweetheart.”  He watched her close her eyes.  Her face was flushed pink, and her pretty bottom lip caught between her teeth.  “Where do you want my mouth?”

“I want your mouth on my pussy.  I want you to make me come.  Please, Daryl.  Please.”  She was whimpering now, as he kissed her hip bones and kneaded her thighs, settling between her legs. 

“You wanna do somethin’ for me?” he asked.

“What?” she asked breathlessly, eyes fluttering open.

“C’mere,” he murmured.  He rolled to his back, pulling her on top of him.  She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, straddling his waist, but then her eyes widened with surprise when he started urging her to slide up. 

“You want me to… _oh!”_ Daryl grabbed her ass, guiding her to straddle his face.  She sucked in a sharp breath the second he leaned up to tease her folds with his tongue.  “Oh, _fuck!”_   She reached out, gripping the couch and praying her knees wouldn’t give out. 

“Taste so damn good,” he murmured, gripping her hips and guiding her to grind against his face.  She gasped at the sensation of his stubble against her, of his chin against her most sensitive areas, of his tongue pressing into her, of his lips drinking her in.  She began to buck gently against his face, throwing her head back and crying out when she felt him push a finger inside of her. 

She peaked quickly, and he lapped up every bit of her.  Her knees trembled as he brought her closer to the fastest second orgasm she’d ever experienced.  She rocked against his face, desperately trying to reach that high again, and when she got there, she slumped against him for a moment, taking in ragged breaths and trying to make her legs work so she could shift off of him.

“God, how’d you get so good at that?” she panted, collapsing on the floor next to him as he wiped his chin with the back of his hand.  Carol made a face at him, but he leaned over to kiss her before she could protest.  The taste of herself on his tongue was wildly erotic, and she moaned softly, breaking the kiss.  “Don’t answer that.”  She stretched out next to him, squinting her eyes as the sun went behind a cloud, dimming the room. She glanced over at the clock.  “It’s getting late.”

“You want me to go?”

“No,” she murmured.  “I don’t.  Unless you want to.”  She chewed her lip for a moment, grinning when the smile spread across his face. 

“Want every second I can get with ya,” he promised.  Carol’s smile faltered.

“Normally, I’d say it’s too soon for this conversation, but I think marathon sex sort of brings people a little closer together.”  Daryl snorted at that.  “I want to see you again.  After this weekend.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss him. 

“When?”

“I’m off Tuesdays and Thursdays.  You could come over on your lunch break while Sophia’s at school.  Or…I could come to your place.”

“What about the other days?”

“I work.”

“You could meet me for lunch.  We could meet at a hotel.  Something.”

“A little afternoon delight?” she asked with a wink.  “Is that all I am to you?”

“’Course not,” he murmured, smile fading.  “That ain’t all this is.  I like you.  I like just talkin’.  But the sex is…well, that’s what started all this.  It’s amazing.”  Carol was blushing.  “Can’t get enough of you.  I want _more_ of you.  Not just sex.”  His hand stroked her cheek.  “I wanna know everything about you.”

“Me too,” she whispered, leaning in to kiss him.  “But first I want a bath.”

“Ya know, the smart thing to do would be to shower together.  Conserve water and all that.”

“Eco friendly, huh?” she laughed.  “Well, sorry.  You can shower after me.  I need to soak.  I’m pretty sure I pulled a few muscles I haven’t used in a very long time, if you know what I mean.”  Daryl quirked an eyebrow at her.  “Proud of yourself, huh?”

“Little bit.”  Carol laughed then, leaning down to kiss him once more. 

“Ok.  I’ll be back soon, and then you can have the shower.”  She hurried upstairs, closing herself off in the bathroom.

She ran a hot bath, wincing as she slipped into the water.  Her cell phone just happened to ring just as she was beginning to relax.  With a sigh, she quickly pulled the phone to her ear.

“Hey,” she murmured.

“Hey yourself,” Michonne chirped.  “Where’s the fireman?”

“Downstairs.  I needed a bath.”

“Oh I’m so happy for you,” Michonne chuckled.  “Wait.  He’s not joining you?”

“God, Michonne, I think he broke my vagina.”  She heard Michonne cackle on the other line.  “That’s not funny!”

“Are you ok?  Like, are you really hurt?”

“No,” Carol pouted, “but we did things today that I can’t even believe.  I’m not sure I even know who I am anymore.  I mean, Michonne, he’s _amazing_.  He’s just amazing.  And the thing is, I actually don’t want him to leave.  I know he has to.  He has to leave after tomorrow.”  She groaned.  “I’m that person.  I go on a date with a guy, I sleep with him, and then I get attached.”  She sighed.

“Well, maybe you’re just feeling emotional, because this is really the first guy you’ve been crazy about since the divorce,” Michonne suggested.

“I don’t think that’s it.  Michonne, I barely know the guy, but all I want to do is just be with him and learn everything there is to know about him.”

“So, did you guys do anything on your date?  Like, did you talk at all?”

“We talked a little.  And then we had sex up against a tree.”

“Oh my God,” Michonne laughed.  “I never thought I’d say I’m absolutely thrilled that my best friend stole my date.” 

“This isn’t funny, Michonne,” Carol whined.  “You want to know the crazy part?  He wants me.  He actually wants to be with me.  Like, he wants to _be_ with me.”

“Why is that so crazy?” Michonne asked.

“I don’t know.  I guess I just convinced myself that I was going to dedicate the rest of my life to being Sophia’s mom.  I was going to go on a nice date with a nice cop guy, and I was going to have a nice time.  And then Daryl Dixon stepped on my foot, and I became this sex hungry animal that can’t wait to get home so drops her panties in the middle of the woods.”

“I like this side of you,” Michonne teased.

“Oh, shut up.  Is there something wrong with me?”

“Of course not.  You sound happy.  Even when you’re complaining about your broken vagina.”  Carol sighed, and she sunk a little further down into the tub.  “I have some news.”

“Oh, do tell.”

“I’m going out with Rick tonight.  He called again.”

“Oh, that’s great, Michonne.  Are you excited?”

“Yeah.  I think so.  He’s really sweet, and he’s gorgeous, you know?  Well, I guess you don’t know, since you passed him up for Daryl.”

“Mich!”

“I’m kidding,” she laughed.  “I’m glad you did.  You’re happy, and you never know.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll be the one with aches in all the good places.”

“Good luck,” Carol chuckled.

“You enjoy the rest of your weekend.  I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“You better!  Love you.”

“Love you.”  Carol put her phone down, and she smiled a little before grabbing for the soap and wash cloth.  She took her time washing her hair and then her body, listening to the faint sound of music coming from the stereo downstairs.  She couldn’t honestly believe herself.  She had never been the kind of woman to do anything like this before.  But the funny thing was, it felt right.  Being with Daryl felt so right, and she was a little worried about the weekend coming to an end.  What if he realized after the newness wore off that maybe it was just about sex for him? 

She shook her head and tried to force the thought from her mind.  She knew she was taking a chance.  She wasn’t dumb.  She knew that she’d been burned before, but she trusted Daryl.  Perhaps it was foolish to trust someone so quickly, but as far as she knew, there weren’t set timeframes for these kinds of things.   She let that thought relax her, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the heat of the water around her.  She gently slid her hands all over, washing clean of the day’s activities. 

She hadn’t realized how long she’d been in the tub until she heard a tap at the door. 

“Daryl?” she asked, eyes flying open.

“You ok in there?”

“I’m ok,” she chuckled.  “You can come in.”  The door cracked open a bit, and Daryl peeked in almost shyly.  She gave him a smile from her relaxed state in the tub, and he stepped in with nothing but his boxers on.  “I heard from Michonne.”

“Yeah?” he asked, sitting down on the edge of the tub. 

“Yeah,” she smiled.  “Rick’s gonna take her out.  Looks like we’re not the only ones having a good time this weekend.”  Daryl smirked at that.  “Yeah, just got a text from Rick.  He seems happy.”

“You know, I think that turned out to be the best date disaster I’ve ever had,” Carol laughed. 

“Me too,” Daryl chuckled.  “Though I wouldn’t call it a disaster.  Hell, I almost didn’t come.”

“You didn’t?”

“Nah.  Rick was all fired up about goin’, and he wanted me to go so there’d be someone for your friend.  Hell, the last thing I wanted to do was go sit around bein’ uncomfortable for a couple hours.  But the second I saw you, all I could think was how the fuck did Rick get so lucky as to find someone like you.”  Carol blushed then, and Daryl got up from where he sat.  “Ya know, I don’t know what I woulda done if Rick hadn’t hit it off with Michonne.  Or if you hadn’t given me the time of day.” 

“Well, we won’t have to worry about that, will we?” she asked, standing up, giving him an eyeful as the water cascaded down her slick body.  Daryl swallowed hard, memorizing the sight for those nights when he couldn’t be by her side.  She turned around, bending low to pop the stopper from the drain, giving him an eyeful of her backside.  Daryl groaned then, and Carol looked over her shoulder to give him a smile. 

“You tryin’ to kill me, woman?”

“Of course not,” she pouted, turning as his hands found her waist.  He helped her step out of the tub and onto the rug, and her damp hands curled into his shirt, tugging him down for a kiss.  “I like you a little too much.”

“Yeah, me too,” he chuckled.

“My water heater is amazing, so you should have plenty of warm water,” she promised.  “Put your clothes in the hamper, and I’ll wash them for you in the morning.”

“Ya don’t gotta do my laundry.”

“I know,” she chuckled.  “Just take your clothes off, Pookie.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he snorted.  She gave him a little swat on the behind before pulling on her bathrobe and leaving him to get cleaned up.

*~*~*~*~*

When Daryl slipped down the stairs in his sleep pants and a white t-shirt, the downstairs was almost dark, and not a sound could be heard.  He found Carol curled up on the couch, and for a moment, he thought she was fast asleep.  He moved to grab a blanket to drape over her, but he felt her warm hand reach out for his.

“I’m still awake,” she whispered. 

“You ok?”

“Just tired.”

“C’mon,” he murmured, pulling her up.  “Let’s go to bed.”  He took her hand in his and led her up the stairs to her room.  She was so tired that the moment she was under the covers, she struggled to keep her eyes open.  He crawled in next to her, spooning up against her from behind, pressing soft kisses to the back of her neck.  She sighed softly, seeking his hand out under the covers, bringing his arm around her.  She put his hand against her side, and he gently grazed the side of her breast with his thumb.

“I’m glad you’re here,” she whispered before yawning.  “I forgot how good it felt to sleep next to someone.”  Daryl buried his nose against her hair and took in a deep breath.  He kissed the side of her face then, and she turned, rolling to face him, pulling one arm up to drape over his shoulder.  He kissed her softly then, slowly, and she fought to walk the line between sleep and consciousness. 

“G’night,” he murmured, as she curled up against him and rested her head against his chest.

“Good night,” she murmured, a sleepy smile fading from her lips as she let go and gave in to her dreams.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Cut Short

Carol couldn’t help but feel a little down when she woke up the next morning.  It was Sunday, which meant this magical weekend would soon be coming to an end, and then they were going to have to work around each other’s schedules to fit in time together. 

But it didn’t take long for the frown to fade from her face.  She turned to find Daryl sleeping soundly next to her, his shaggy hair messy and hanging in his eyes.  She bit her lip and snuggled closer to him, bringing her hand up to brush the hair out of his face.  He moaned softly in his sleep, and she leaned in to press her lips against his forehead.

He sighed, muscles tensing as he stretched and let out a stifled yawn. 

“Good morning,” she whispered, kissing the corner of his mouth. 

“Mornin’ already?” he murmured.

“Mmmhmm.”

“You hungry?”

“Yeah,” she grinned. 

“I can take ya to breakfast, and then we can do whatever you wanna do.”  Carol smiled then, sliding her hand up his chest and over his shoulder.  He opened his eyes then, looking right into hers. 

“Whatever I wanna do, huh?” she asked softly.  “Oh, I can think of a few things.”  She slid her hand down, reaching into his boxers and curling her hand around his semi-hard dick.  He groaned when she began to stroke him.

“Christ,” he panted.  “Carol…”  She quieted him with a kiss, gently pushing him to lay on his back.  She crawled over him then, kissing his neck, pumping him slowly as she began to trail kisses down his chest and stomach.  And just as she was about to go further, her cell phone rang a familiar chime.  She stopped, groaning and slumping over him.

“Damn it,” she groaned, burying her face against his stomach. 

“You gotta get it?”

“It’s Ed.  I’m sorry,” Carol murmured, pulling away from him and scrambling for the phone.  She quickly stood and put the phone to her ear.  “Ed?  Is Sophia ok?”

“Sophia’s fine.  Don’t worry.”

“Damn it, Ed, it’s seven thirty in the morning.  This better be good.”  She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration, turning to see Daryl sitting up, hands gripping the side of the bed in an attempt to settle himself down. 

“I’m sorry, Carol,” Ed murmured.  “I’ve gotta fly to Houston.  A deal’s about to fall through if I don’t go.  I don’t want to give up the rest of my weekend with Sophia, but I want to make sure I have a job to help support her with.  I’m sorry.” 

“It’s ok,” Carol sighed.  “It’s fine.  When do you need me to come get her?”

“I can drop her off on the way to the airport.  No sense in you getting out in church crowd traffic.  I’ll drop her off in about an hour.” 

“Ok.  Alright.”

“You’re mad.”

“I’m a little mad,” Carol muttered.  “But, I’d rather you keep your job.”

“Thanks for understanding.  I’ll be there soon.”  The call ended, and Carol tossed her phone down on the bed.  She noticed Daryl had slipped into the bathroom, and his duffel bag was gone.

“Daryl?”

“C’mon in,” he called.  She pushed the door open to find him standing in front of the sink, staring in the mirror as he buttoned his shirt up.  Carol sighed, stepping up behind him and wrapping her arms around him from behind.  She rested her cheek against his back.

“I’m sorry, Daryl.”

“You ain’t gotta apologize,” he insisted.  “Everything ok?”

“Yeah.  Ed has to go to Texas on business.  He’s bringing Sophia back early.  Are you disappointed?”

“Disappointed?  Yeah, a little, but hell, I didn’t have any plans past drinkin’ beer and watchin’ TV this weekend, so I gotta say it’s already turned out a hell of a lot better than I coulda hoped for.”   He turned to face her, and she smiled up at him.  “I’m gonna call you later.”

“You better,” Carol chuckled.  She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, and she sighed.  “Sorry I got you all worked up.”

“S’alright,” he chuckled.  “I can take care of that when I get home.”   Carol smirked.  “You do the same, and it’ll be like we’re together.”

“I don’t think I’ll be touching myself for a couple of days.  Frankly, I’m surprised I can walk this morning.”  Daryl smirked at that, and Carol rolled her eyes. “I’m not complaining.  I’ve never had this much fun in my entire life.  But I might have overdone it.”

“That ok?”

“That’s perfect,” Carol laughed.  “Like I said.  Not complaining.”  She kissed him again.   “Oh, shit.  Your laundry.”

“Don’t worry ‘bout it.  I’ll do it when I get home,” he promised. 

“Let me at least make you something to eat?”

“I should go,” he offered.  “In case he gets here early.”

“Right,” Carol sighed.  She watched as he pulled on the rest of his clothes, and then she linked her fingers with his, running her thumb over his knuckles.  “I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too,” he admitted.  They left the bathroom and headed down to the front door.  “I wanna see you Tuesday.”

“Ok,” Carol murmured.  “You have work?”

“Yeah, but I can take a long lunch.  I can get here in ten minutes from where I work.”

“Oh, I like the sound of that,” Carol chuckled.  Daryl kissed her then.  “Noon good?”

“Noon’s perfect,” she murmured.  “I can’t wait.”  She kissed him then, wrapping her arms around his neck.  “I’ll wear something special.”

“You ain’t gotta wear a damned thing.  Ain’t that the point?”

“Shut up,” she laughed.  “Kiss me.”  He obliged, pulling her closer, not wanting to let her go.  But, when they finally broke apart, he gently caressed her cheek with his fingertips. 

“Tuesday,” he promised.

“Tuesday,” she agreed.  “Be careful.”

“Always am,” he offered with a nod.  With one last kiss, he ducked out the front door, leaving her to watch him drive away.

*~*~*~*~*

“This is my favorite,” Carol grinned, flipping through the small stack of photos Ed had sent home with Sophia for her.  The photo of Carol’s liking was one of Sophia petting a baby goat. 

“He ate out of my hand,” Sophia giggled.  “I liked him.  Can we get one?”

“A goat?” Carol laughed.  “No, honey.  But we can go back and see him again sometime, ok?”

“Ok,” Sophia said with a nod.  “Can we go today?”

“Honey, mommy’s tired.”

“Why?  You didn’t work,” Sophia offered with a shrug.  Carol snorted.

“Honey, grownups get tired sometimes.”

“You can take a nap.”

“I might take a nap,” Carol laughed.  “How about we put in a movie, and I’ll get us some ice cream.”  Sophia’s eyes went wide. 

“Ice cream in the morning?” Sophia asked.  “I thought sweets were for after dinner.”

“Well, today’s a special occasion.  This is supposed to be daddy’s day, so we’ll make an exception.”  Sophia grinned, and Carol kissed her on top of her head.  “You want sprinkles?” 

“Yeah!”

“Ok.  You go put your backpack in your room and find a movie.”  Sophia scrambled for the stairs, and Carol chuckled to herself before dragging her feet to the kitchen.  Her phone buzzed in her pocket as she reached into the freezer, and she checked her messages.  She blushed when she saw a message from Daryl and quickly opened it.

_Tuesday feels like it won’t ever get here.  Can’t wait to see you again._

Carol bit her lip and quickly typed a text back.

_I know.  It’s crazy how much I miss you.  Can’t wait to see you again._

She tucked her phone back in her pocket, and she shivered with anticipation.  It was going to be a long couple of days for sure, and she was already counting down the hours.

She distracted herself by dipping a couple of scoops for herself and for Sophia, and by the time she came back to the living room, Sophia had already popped a DVD into the player and was flipping through the previews with the remote.

“Oh, the mermaid movie again?”

“Uh-huh!”

“Your favorite,” Carol chuckled.

“Mommy, can we go to the ocean and look for mermaids?” Sophia asked. Carol grinned.

“You think we’ll find one?”

“Well,” Sophia offered, furrowing her brows, “my teacher says the ocean’s so big we don’t know everything that’s in there.  So there’s got to be one in there somewhere, right?”

“You never know,” Carol offered with a tired chuckle.  “I suppose anything’s possible.”  If anybody knew that for certain, it was her.  She was the last person who would have expected she’d meet someone on Friday and by Sunday already feel their absence like a heavy void.  She couldn’t believe herself.  She couldn’t believe that she’d open herself up like that to someone who she barely even knew.  But she felt good. She wanted more.  She missed him like crazy, and it hadn’t even been an hour since he’d left.  She felt a little guilty as she settled into the movie.  She loved her daughter, and she missed her when she was gone, but for the first time in a long time, she felt a connection with someone who really made her question everything she knew about herself, and not in a bad way.  She craved his touch.  She wanted more of that.  She wasn’t sure how she was going to get through the next couple of days, but as she took a bite of sweet, creamy ice cream, she settled back against the couch and tried to distract herself with the movie about a little red-headed mermaid and a talking crab.  Still, Daryl was never far from her thoughts, and she had a feeling that would never change.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Anticipation

“So, how did it go?” Carol asked, as she and Michonne walked around the mall.  Andre was fast asleep in the stroller, and Sophia was a few steps ahead, eyes wide as she looked into all of the store windows to see what she could see. 

“How’d what go?” Michonne asked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

“Oh, don’t give me that,” Carol snorted.  “Your date.”

“It was…it was a date,” Michonne offered.  “That’s all you get.”

“Are you kidding me?” Carol asked.  “I told you about…”  She lowered her voice so little ears couldn’t hear.  “About the sex.”

“I know you did,” Michonne laughed.  “And I’m happy for you.”  She grinned, and Carol glared at her.  “You’re not going to tell me?”

“All I will tell you is that I was right about those bird legs.  And let’s just say that there’s nothing bird like about the rest of him.”  She winked.  Carol’s eyes went wide.

“Really?”

“Pretty sure my mouth hit the floor,” she laughed.  “He’s full of surprises.”  Carol laughed and she felt her cheeks growing red. 

“Officer Grimes,” she chuckles.  “I never would have thought.”

“He’s taking me out again on Friday.  I really like him, Carol.” 

“I’m glad.  I’m seeing Daryl tomorrow,” Carol replied with a smile.

“Tomorrow?  Tuesday?  He doesn’t work tomorrow?”

“He’s going to meet me on his lunch break.”

“Oh, some afternoon delight?” Michonne asked.

“And what a delight it is,” Carol sighed, getting a laugh out of her best friend.  “God, Michonne.  I feel like I’m eighteen again.  He makes me feel so…” 

“That good, huh?”

“Better.  I think there’s something wrong with me.  I couldn’t sleep last night, because all I wanted was…well, you know.”

“I do know,” Michonne snorted.  “Well, I hope the sex is half as good as what I experienced last night, because _damn_.  He looks like he’s good.  He looks like he’s…you know…”  She gestured with her hands.  “Is he?”

“He gets the job done,” Carol offered.  Her face felt like it was on fire.  Michonne quirked an eyebrow and motioned with her hands again.  Carol gave her a little nod and moved Michonne’s hands a little further apart. 

“Holy shit.  You’re kidding.  It’s a wonder you can walk straight.”

“Oh, shut up,” Carol laughed. “He’s perfect.”

“Ooh, mommy!  Look at the dog!”  Carol glanced at the pink and white polka dotted dog in the front window of a certain women’s store.  Sophia had her face pressed up against the glass.

“Sophia, don’t do that,” Carol called.  “You don’t know who’s touched that.”

“Sorry, Mommy.”  She immediately caught sight of a gumball machine and hurried over to that. 

“Sophia Peletier!  You can’t run off like that!”  She hurried over to kneel down in front of her daughter.  “You have to stay with us, ok?”

“Ok, Mommy.  I’m sorry.  Can I have a quarter?”  Carol sighed and dug into her purse for a couple of coins.  She glanced back over at the store and looked at Michonne. 

“Can you watch her for a minute?  I need to pick something up.”  Michonne furrowed her brows but followed Carol’s gaze to the store.

“Oh!  I’d be happy to,” she offered with a bright smile.  “I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you,” Carol laughed.  “I’m happy for me, too.”  She handed Sophia two quarters, and she hurried over to the store.  She felt a little embarrassed.  Here she was, thirty years old, and most of the girls browsing the underwear bins looked like they were in high school.  Still, there was no rule that she couldn’t find something sexy just because she was a mom.  She was still young, and Daryl obviously found her very sexy, and he certainly made her feel that way.

Carol looked down at herself and inwardly groaned.  She was wearing the cutest pair pink scrubs with panda bears printed all over it.  She’d gone straight from work to pick up Sophia, and she hadn’t gone back home to change before meeting Michonne and Andre at the mall.  Now, she felt a little self-conscious.  What if one of her patients ran into her buying sexy panties?  Her face flushed, and she looked when a couple of girls giggled from behind the bra display.  She looked over to see them whispering and giggling to each other.  She remembered those days. 

She ran her fingers over some black, lace panties.  They were surprisingly soft.  She found her size and found a matching bra to go with it, and that was when she saw it.  A matching set in red.  It was gorgeous, and she’d always been too embarrassed to buy red.  She knew it was silly, and she didn’t quite know why it embarrassed her.  As if these skimpy black things weren’t embarrassing enough.  But, now, as she looked at them, she just imagined the look on Daryl’s face when he saw her wearing them, and without further hesitation, she snatched them up and headed up to the counter to pay. 

Her hands shook has she handed over the cash for her purchases, and she quickly stuffed the bag into her purse.  When she stepped out to meet back up with Michonne, her face was about as red as the panties she’d bought.

“You ok?” Michonne asked.

“Yeah.  That was on the dark side of humiliating.”

“What?” Michonne snorted.  “What are you talking about?”

“Do you remember the last time I bought sexy panties?”

“No,” Michonne replied, furrowing her brow.

“Yeah.  Me neither.  Let’s go.”

“Oh lord,” Michonne snorted.  “You can’t tell me some clothes have you all worked up like this.  For what it’s worth, I don’t think he cares what you’re wearing.”  Carol blushed again, and Sophia came hurrying over.

“Mommy!  Look what I got.”  She held out two large gumballs, once in each hand, and she smiled proudly up at her mother.  Her mouth was already blue from the gumball she was currently chomping on.

“Okay, but you have to save the other two for later, ok?”

“Ok,” Sophia offered, sticking the rest of her candy in her pockets.  “Can we go home now?”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea,” Carol chuckled, casting one last glance toward the store she’d just left.  She couldn’t believe herself.  After everything she and Daryl had done between the sheets, she was actually letting herself get embarrassed about buying sexy underwear?  She knew it was silly.  He made her feel confident.  He made her feel desired.  Still, there was something about making those purchases, as if she was announcing to the other patrons and to the cashier that she was planning on getting laid.  Well, she was planning on it, but she didn’t exactly want the whole world to know that.

Mercifully, her phone buzzed and distracted her, and as she walked through the mall, she glanced down to see a message from Daryl.

_We still on for tomorrow?_

Her heart fluttered in her chest, and she bit her lip.  She looked over to Michonne who was fishing baby wipes out of the stroller so Sophia could wipe her face off.  Carol looked back down at her phone.

_Can’t wait.  Wouldn’t miss it._

Within moments, Daryl texted her with reservations he’d made for a hotel downtown.  He gave her the room number and told her what time to be there.

“Good news?” Michonne asked.

“Huh?” Carol asked, looking up from her phone.

“You’re walking around with a silly grin on your face.”

“Oh,” Carol chuckled.  “Daryl made reservations for tomorrow.”

“He made a room reservation for his lunch hour?  Man, he must _really_ be ready to see you.”

“That’s what I’m counting on.”

*~*~*~*~*

Carol flipped off the light to her bathroom and padded across the room to stretch out on her bed.  She smiled when she saw she’d gotten a text from Daryl while she was showering, and she bit her lip as she read his message.

_Can’t wait to see you again.  Can’t sleep thinkin’ about you._

_You should sleep.  You’re gonna need your energy tomorrow._

_Promise?_

_Oh, I promise.  I bought something for you._

_You didn’t have to do that._

_Well, it’s for me, but I think you’re going to enjoy it a lot more than I do._

_You know, I’m wide awake.  I can just come over and…_

_Dot dot dot.  You’re adorable._

_I was going for smooth._

_That, too._

_I wanna see you._

_It’s late, and Sophia’s sleeping, Daryl._

_I got an idea._

Carol was about to type out another text when her phone buzzed in her hand.  She gasped softly when she realized he was trying to do a video chat with her.  Her face lit up in a smile, and she quickly accepted the call.

“Hey, beautiful,” he murmured the moment he saw her face.

“Hey yourself,” she chuckled.  She checked out her hair in the little box at the bottom of the screen.  “God, my hair is a mess.  I just got out of the shower.”

“You look amazing,” he promised.  “What are you wearing?”

“Are you serious?” she snorted. 

“Lemme see.”  Carol sighed, and she angled her phone up and down to give him an eyeful of her fuzzy grey pajama pants and her white tank top.  She wasn’t wearing a bra, and her nipples were hard little pebbles.  She wondered if he could see.

“Fuck.  You look good.”

“This turns you on?  Really?” she asked.  “Man, I could have just saved my money today.”  Daryl smirked.

“You turn me on.  Don’t care what you’re wearin’.”  Carol bit her lip and settled back against the pillow.  “Missed you today.”

“Me too,” she murmured.  “You have a good day at work?”

“Yeah.  It’s a good day when you don’t gotta go put out fires.” 

“Always,” Carol chuckled. 

“What’d you do today?”

“I got thrown up on three times before noon, and a baby peed on me.”

“Sorry.”

“That’s actually a good day,” she laughed.  “When you’re a pediatric nurse and a mom, it’s just kind of part of the deal.”  She watched as he settled back against his bed, and she sighed.  “You watching TV before bed?”

“Nah.  I was readin’.”

“You read?” she asked.  Daryl snorted.

“Well, I learned ‘bout twenty-five years ago.”

“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” she laughed.  “I meant…what kinds of books do you read?”

“Whatever I got layin’ around.  Right now it’s…”  He picked up the book to show her the cover.   It was _The Stand_ by Stephen King.

“Oh, I haven’t read that one yet.  I love the movie.”

“It was a movie?” he asked.

“A miniseries,” Carol offered.  “It was on TV years ago.  Rob Lowe.  Gary Sinese.”

“Oh, so you just watch it for the guys, huh?”

“It’s a good story,” Carol insisted.  “They probably have it at the library.  We could have a movie date.  It’s long though.”

“Don’t mind.  Book’s pretty good.  Long as hell though.  Can’t imagine what the world would be like if everybody just up and died like that.  Everybody would have to start over, find people to survive with.”

“Would you come find me if the world ended, Daryl?” Carol asked teasingly.

“Nothin’ could keep me away,” he promised.  Carol grinned and immediately fell into a yawn.  “You want me to let ya go so you can rest?”

“No,” she pouted.  “But, we should probably both get some rest soon.” 

“Alright,” he chuckled.  “Fuck, I can’t wait ‘til tomorrow.”

“Me neither.”  She bit her lip.  She watched him lean his head back against the headboard.  He looked sleepy, and when he licked his lips, her heart fluttered in her chest.  She blushed, and then she slowly moved her hand down her stomach to tuck beneath the elastic of her panties.  He couldn’t see what she was doing, and he seemed completely unaware until she spoke her next few words.  “What are you gonna do to me?”

“What?”

“Tomorrow.  What do you want to do to me?” she asked, biting her lip.  She watched his chest hitch as he sucked in a sharp breath.

“Christ, you wanna do this?”

“Hmm,” she hummed.  “I’m so wet, Daryl.”  She could almost see his eyes darken on the phone screen.  She pushed a finger inside of herself and moaned softly.

“Jesus, are you touchin’ yourself?” he asked.

“I wish it was you,” she murmured.  “Oh God, I’m so wet, Daryl.  I want you.”  He was silent for a moment, and she could tell by the way his shoulder rolled when he shifted on the bed that he was touching himself, too. 

“Let me see.”

“What?” she asked softly.

“I wanna see how wet you are.”  She blushed then, and she stared at his face.

“Ok,” she bit out.   She put the phone down long enough to shimmy out of her pants and her panties, and then she took her phone back into her shaking hand.  “You ready?”

“Wanna watch you touch yourself.”  Carol felt her core begin to throb, and she angled the phone down as she pushed another finger inside.  “Fuck, Carol.” 

“Are you hard?” she asked, breath hitching in her chest. 

“As a rock,” he groaned, head rolling back against the headboard.

“Show me,” she whispered.  Daryl shifted for a few moments, and when he settled back, he angled his phone down so she could see his fist curled around his hard cock.  “God, I can’t wait until you’re inside of me.”

“Yeah?” he asked.  “Can’t wait to feel you around me.  Feel you squeezing me ‘til I can’t take it no more.”

She teased her clit with her thumb, whimpering as she pushed a third finger inside. 

“Daryl,” she breathed.  “Fuck, I feel like I’m on fire.  I need you.”  She bit her bottom lip.  “This isn’t enough.”

“You got anything?”

“Huh?”

“A vibrator?  Dildo?  Somethin’?”  The words caught on his tongue, and she knew he had to be blushing.  If she wasn’t staring at his cock, she was sure she’d be looking at his blushing face.

“Yeah,” she murmured.

“Get it.  Wanna watch you.  Want you to pretend it’s me inside you.”  She heard him rustling for something, and it wasn’t long before she watched him squeeze a dollop of lube in his hand before bringing it back to stroke his cock. 

“You thinking about me?” she asked, reaching into her bedside table to grab her sleek, blue vibrator.  She turned it on, and the soft buzz made Daryl’s cock jump.  “You thinking about my hot, wet pussy?”

“Jesus Christ,” he panted.  “Fuck, Carol.”  She lubed up the vibrator by sliding it against her slick, wet pussy.  She wasted no time in pushing it in all the way, and she cried out the second her walls clamped down around it.  “Daryl, tell me what you’re gonna do to me.”

“Fuck,” he bit out, pumping a little harder as Carol pulled the toy out and teased her clit. 

“Gonna push deep,” he groaned.  “Gonna fill you up, pull your legs over my shoulders and fuck you ‘til you scream my name.

“Yes,” she panted, pushing the toy back in, moving it in slow, even strokes before pulling it out to tease her clit again.  “I’m so close.” 

“Wanna feel your pussy squeezing my cock.  Want to make you beg to come.” 

“Please make me come,” she whispered, driving the toy deeper and faster.  Her legs began to shake, and she choked out a cry as heat flooded through her body. 

“You want me to taste you?”

“I want your mouth on me,” she panted.  “I want you to suck my pussy, tease me with your tongue.  God, Daryl.  I’m coming.”  She arched back, and she forced herself to keep her eyes open.  She wanted to watch him come.  She continued teasing herself as she flew over the edge, and in moments, she watched Daryl spill over his hand and up onto his belly.

“Fuck, Carol.  You’re amazing.  Wanna see your face.  Want to see your face when you come for me.”  She did as he asked.

“God,” she panted.  “I want you now.  This isn’t enough.  Fuck, I need you inside me.  I need you stretching me and filling me.”  Her voice was hoarse and desperate as she pushed herself over the edge again, and Daryl angled the phone back to his face.  Carol’s hand shook as she pulled the toy out and turned it off. 

“Tomorrow,” he promised.  “Gonna do all them things and more.”  Carol felt her core throb in anticipation. 

“Tomorrow,” she agreed.  “I can’t wait.”


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Lunch Date

Carol arrived at the hotel early.  She checked in and took a long, hot shower.  By the time she dried off and slipped into her sexy surprise, her phone was buzzing.  She reached for it and smiled as she read the message.

_I’m in the elevator.  I’ll be there soon._

She bit her lip as she typed out a message for him.

_Good. Don’t keep me waiting._

She shivered with excitement, looking herself over in the mirror.  She felt more confident about her body than she had in years.  She was slender, but her stomach was decorated with pale lines, reminders of her pregnancy with Sophia.  She ran her hand over her stomach gently, remembering the way Daryl had kissed her there, the way he’d looked at her and made those little anxieties just melt away. 

Her heart raced at the thought of feeling his mouth on her again, of feeling him inside of her.  She couldn’t get enough of him, and it was exhilarating and frightening at the same time.  She’d never felt such a strong sexual connection with anyone before.  And it was so much more than that. 

Before she could linger on that thought for too long, a knock came to the door.  Carol quickly tugged on a silky, white robe and loosely tied the sash around her waist.  She shivered again as she hurried across the room, slowly just before she reached the door.  She didn’t want to seem too eager, but hell, they were on a bit of a schedule.  She didn’t want to get him in trouble at work, but she sure wasn’t going to want to say goodbye when their little lunch date was over.

When she opened the door, he was standing there in a pair of boots, some dark blue uniform pants and a form-fitting T-shirt printed with his station’s number and information.

“Hi,” she said with a little grin, taking in the sight of him.  He licked his lips as he looked her up and down.  His gaze lingered on her smooth, creamy thighs.

“Christ, you look amazing,” he groaned, as Carol took his hand and pulled him into the room.  Daryl caught her by surprise, however, pulling her into his arms and pushing her back against the door.  He reached behind her and locked the bolt before greeting her with a hungry kiss.

She sighed against his lips, giggling when his hand moved down her back and over her ass.

“You don’t waste any time, do you?”

“You got no idea how much I been wantin’ this.”

“I have a little idea,” she promised, pouting softly before Daryl captured her protruding lip between his teeth and gave it a little tug. 

“Gotta see you,” he grunted.  Carol gasped when his hands moved to her waist, tugging the sash loose.  The silky robe fell open, revealing the matching lace red bra and panties. He paused for a moment, taking in the sight, memorizing it.  “Jesus.  You look amazing.”

“I have them in black, too.”

“Good,” he grunted, moving his hands to her waist.  “Take ‘em off.”

“Oh, I like a man who knows what he wants,” she laughed, as Daryl’s hands moved to her shoulders, pushing the robe from them.  It pooled at Carol’s feet, and she leaned back against the cool hotel door, her eyes sparkling as Daryl stared at her.  He had a hunger in his eyes that made her pulse quicken, and if he hadn’t scooped her up in his arms, her shaking legs might have given out on her. 

He put her down on the bed, kicking his boots off and stripping off his shirt.  Carol licked her lips, watching the way his muscles jumped, the way his fingers shook just a little as he went for the button of his pants. 

Carol made quick work of stripping bare for him, and she laughed when he tossed a condom packet onto the bed and practically pounced on her.

“I appreciate your enthusiasm,” she snorted, as he pawed at her thighs. 

“Just makin’ the most of the time we got.”  He kissed her then before trailing wet kisses down her neck, stopping to suck the hollow of her throat, moving lower to tease her breasts.  He scooted down, teasing the patch of skin below her belly button.  She squirmed, throwing her head back and pushing on the top of his head to urge him on.

He wasted no time, using that tongue and his lips to tease and torture her in the most amazing way.  She gasped as he worked her over, kneading her thighs as he teased her clit before pushing his tongue inside of her.  She bucked her hips against his chin, and he chuckled, making the sensation that much more intense.

“Fuck,” she bit out, as her hands dug into the sheets.  “Daryl, please.”  He lifted his head.

“What do you want, sweetheart?”

“Daryl,” she whined.

“Tell me.  What do you need?”

“I need to come.  Please.  I need…”  Daryl grinned then, and the smug look on his face would have been infuriating if she wasn’t barreling toward the brink.  “ _Daryl!_ ” 

He pushed two fingers into her, and she cried out, squeezing around his fingers as he circled her clit with his tongue.  The things he could do with his mouth were sensational, and Carol felt as if every nerve ending was on fire. 

It didn’t take much longer to push her over the edge, and when she came, Daryl crawled up to lay beside her, propping his chin in his hand to watch the blush slowly fade from her cheeks.

“You’re beautiful when you come,” he murmured, trailing a hand down her stomach, stroking between her legs.  She clamped her legs together, trapping his hand, and he chuckled.

“You’re evil,” she laughed.  Daryl grinned then, kissing her, letting her taste herself on his tongue.  She moaned, tugging on his arm, urging him to crawl over her.  He buried his face against her neck, and he groaned when her hand curled around his dick. 

“You in a hurry?”

“Hey, I’ve got all the time in the world.  You’re the one who has fires to put out and kittens to pull out of trees.”  Daryl snorted at that, and Carol’s laughter turned to gasps when he pushed at her entrance.  “You better not!”

“You know I wouldn’t,” he snorted.  “Not ‘til you’re ready.  Just feels good to feel ya without anything between us.”  Carol smiled then, arching back as his lips trailed over her neck.  He reached over then, grabbing the condom and ripping open the package.  He quickly rolled it on and positioned himself between her legs.  Carol cleared her throat.   “What?”

“I do believe you said something about… _this_.”  She lifted one leg, bringing it up over his shoulder.  Daryl grinned wickedly, bringing Carol’s other leg up. 

“This ok?” he asked.  Carol nodded, scooting down the bed taking in a deep breath.  “You ok?”

“Don’t hold back,” she panted. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah,” she grunted.  “I want it fast and I want it hard.”

“Yes ma’am,” he snorted.  Carol playfully slapped his shoulder, but all laughter flew out the window the second he pushed into her, fast and strong, and her eyes screwed shut.  She stretched around him, barely having time to adjust to him before he pulled out and slammed home again.

“Oh my God,” she groaned.  “Yes.  Daryl…”  Daryl silenced her with a kiss before pulling back to take her hands in his.  He raised her arms up and pinned them to the bed above her head.  Her legs tightened around his shoulders, and he pushed into her over and over again, barely able to hang on as she tightened around him, squeezing him in the most delicious way. 

“So tight,” he bit out.  “Fuck, Carol.” 

“Don’t stop,” she choked out, gripping the pillow under her head between her fingers.  Her cries grew louder as Daryl brought his hands to her hips and squeezed before slamming into her a little harder.  “Fuck!”  For a moment, he slowed, worried he’d hurt her, and Carol shook her head.“ Don’t you dare.  Don’t you stop.” 

His hand slipped between them, toying with her clit.  She cried out, and just as she was about to come, ,he pulled his hand away, pulling out almost completely. 

“Daryl!  Fuck!  Please,” she whimpered.  “Please.  Please.”  She couldn’t reach him at that angle, so she gripped the sheets, and then he slammed into her again, rocking against her, bending to take a nipple between his teeth.  She gasped then, arching as he pushed deeper, stroking fast and hard as Carol’s body tensed.  And in moments, she collapsed under him, her mouth open in a silent cry as her body trembled from exhilaration.  Daryl knew he was close, and as Carol’s walls fluttered around him, he let go and collapsed against her, placing slowly, sweet kisses against her neck until she turned her face to seek him out for a proper kiss.

“God, that was…” he murmured.

“Yeah,” she chuckled.  “I think we did ok.”

“Just ok?” he asked with a laugh.

“I mean, I think we can always do better.  I like a challenge.” 

“You’re killin’ me,” he chuckled, rolling off of her and quickly discarding the condom into the bin by the bed.  He pulled Carol close, and she rested her head against his chest, tracing slow, lazy circles against his skin with her fingers. 

“What are we gonna do?” she asked after a few minutes.  Daryl kissed the top of her head.

“We’ll figure it out.”

“I hate waiting.  I hate sneaking around,” she sighed.  She chewed her lip. 

“Me too,” he admitted.

“I’m not ready for Sophia to know about us.  She’s gonna have questions that I’m not sure I can answer yet.”  She looked up at him with curiosity.  “This is new, and I think it’s best if we give it some time.”

“Yeah.  Probably the best thing,” he agreed.  “I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”

“You mean that?”

“You kiddin’?  Hell, I ain’t never met nobody that makes me feel like you do.”  He kissed her then, slow and sweet, and she smiled against his lips. 

“Me too.  I mean, when you look at me, I feel like…”  She shook her head. “I feel things I didn’t know I could feel.”  He cocked an eyebrow and grinned smugly.  “Oh, get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Kinda hard to do that when you’re naked and sweaty,” he chuckled.  Carol snorted and kissed his neck. 

“Ok, that’s fair.  But I’m serious,” she murmured.  “Lately all I think about is you, and that scares me.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” she murmured, curling up against him.  “When we got divorced, Ed and I were so concerned with how it would affect Sophia.  We did everything we could to make the transition easy on her.  And I think we’ve done a good job.  But I never counted on _you_.  I never counted on feeling this way so fast.”  She stopped herself before she could say too much. 

“Me neither,” he agreed.  “Wouldn’t have it any other way, though.”  Carol smiled then. 

“I promised Ed he would get to meet anyone I get serious about before Sophia does.”  She let out a shaky breath.  “I think it’s almost time I made that call.  Not yet.  Soon.  I want to keep you to myself a little longer.”  She kissed his chin.  “Are you ok with that?”  She watched a grin spread over his face.

“Yeah.  I like that idea.”  He kissed her softly.  “We got time.  Like I said, I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Ready

“So?”  Michonne handed Carol a cup of coffee and sat down on the couch beside her.  Carol had stopped by on her way home from picking up Sophia at school.  She was still in her scrubs and was ready to put her feet up for the weekend. 

“So, what?” Carol asked, taking a sip of the piping hot liquid. 

“It’s been, what?  A month?  You’ve been pretty quiet on the Daryl front lately.” 

“Oh, things are fine.  Better than fine,” Carol offered.  “We just don’t see much of each other with his schedule and mine.  This is Ed’s weekend with Sophia, though, so I’m going to his place this time.”

“Oh, staying over at his place?” Michonne asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Well, he’s stayed over at mine.  I figure we should break up the monotony so it doesn’t get boring.”

“You and Daryl?  Boring?” Michonne laughed.  “Please.”

“The sneaking around’s getting tough,” Carol pointed out.  “We’ve been meeting on his lunch breaks, sometimes on mine.  Would I sound like a terrible mother if I said I looked forward to the weekends Sophia has with her dad so we didn’t have to just sneak around all the time?”

“Of course not,” Michonne insisted.  “I get it.  Rick gets his kid every other weekend, too.”  Carol nodded.

“Have you…have you met his kid?”

“Carl?  Yeah.  I met him,” Michonne offered.  Carol raised her eyebrows.

“When?”

“I don’t know.  Last week sometime?  And Rick’s already met Andre.”

“You’re ok with that?  I mean, what if something happens?  What if Andre gets attached, and you…”

“I admit it crossed my mind, but Andre is with me ninety percent of the time, and he’s young.  Yeah, I worry he’ll get confused and things might not work out with Rick, but Rick is good to me, he’s good to Andre, and if it does end, well, I’ll still be there for my son.  He’ll always have me.”

Carol worried her lip between her teeth. 

“I didn’t want Daryl to meet Sophia until I was sure it was going to last.”

“You’ve been sure of that for a while.”

“I know,” Carol groaned.  “I guess I’ve liked keeping him to myself.  I’ve liked the secrecy and the sneaking around, but it’s getting old.  I would rather have him around more than have to wait.  I know they say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but I don’t think that’s even possible at this point.”

“Oh?” Michonne asked, quirking an eyebrow.  “Are we talking the big ‘L’ word?”

“We haven’t said it yet,” Carol murmured, picking at the frayed edge of her scrub top.  “But yeah.”

“So, what’s keeping you from introducing him to Sophia?”

“Nothing, I guess.  I’m just nervous.  The past month has been…well, it’s been exciting and new, and I really like him, Mich.”

“You’re worried Sophia won’t like him?  You’re worried it’ll feel too real once he meets the kid?”

“No, not at all!” Carol insisted.  She sighed and took another sip of coffee.  “I’ve been lucky.  I think Ed and I might have one of the best post-divorce relationships that I’ve ever known of.  We’ve been co-parenting Sophia, and she’s happy does well in school.  It hasn’t really affected her.”

“So that’s it.  It comes down to Ed’s approval.”

“No,” Carol muttered.  “Well, sort of.  I mean, regardless of how Ed feels about him, I know how _I_ feel about Daryl, so even if he doesn’t approve, it won’t change how I feel.  I guess I’m just afraid it’s going to burst the bubble we’ve all been living in since the divorce.”

“Look,” Michonne murmured, “Ed’s a good guy.  He just wasn’t right for you.  He loves Sophia.  He is so good with her.  And yeah, if I was him, I’d want to know the guy that might one day be a permanent fixture in her life.  _But_ , he’s also your ex-husband.  It’s possible he might decide not to like him on principle.” 

“Yeah, I thought about that.  If he doesn’t like Daryl, then I guess he’s going to have to get over it.  He asked me to let him meet the guy I’m seeing before Sophia does.  I’ll give him that.  But if he doesn’t like him, that’s on him.  Daryl’s a great guy.  He makes me happy.”

“I know he does. You glow when you talk about him.  You sure you’re not pregnant?”

“Oh God, don’t even put that out in the universe,” Carol snorted.  “No thanks.  Sophia’s enough for me.”  Michonne narrowed her eyes at Carol.  “For now.”

“That’s what I thought,” Michonne laughed.  Sophia came into the room looking annoyed, and Andre came following behind her with a mischievous grin on his face.

“Mommy, Andre won’t leave me alone!”

“Sophia Peletier, you’re a guest in this house,” Carol warned.  “He likes to play with you.”

“But _Mommy_ , he drools.”

“My son?  Drool?” Michonne asked, feigning shock as she picked up her tot and tickled his belly.  “Surely not, Andre Anthony!”  The baby giggled, and Carol couldn’t help but smile at the sight.  Michonne had been terrified of motherhood, especially when she knew she had to do it alone.  But the second Andre was born, Michonne had fallen in love.  Little Andre had been her whole world until Rick Grimes came along, and Carol was certain she’d never seen her friend happier.  “Excuse me.  Somebody’s got a heavy diaper over here.  I’ll be back.”  Carol waved Michonne off with a laugh.

Sophia climbed up on Carol’s lap, as she sometimes did when she was very tired.

“You feeling ok, sweetie?”

“Yeah,” Sophia yawned.  “I’m sleepy.”

“We’ll go home soon,” Carol promised.  Sophia nodded and rested her head on Carol’s shoulder. 

“Mommy?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you miss Daddy?”  The little girl looked up at Carol, and Carol swallowed the lump in her throat.

“Honey, we’ve talked about this.  Mommy and Daddy are happier apart.  We love you so much, and we love each other, but we don’t love each other like a mommy and daddy are supposed to.  Do you understand?”  Sophia nodded.  “We’ll always care about each other.  You know why?”  Sophia shook her head.  “Because we loved each other so much one time that we made you.  But I don’t want you to ever think that we love you any less because we aren’t together anymore.  If anything, our love for you is one of the reasons we aren’t married anymore.  We wanted to make sure _you_ were happy, and the only way we could do that was if we were happy, too.  And this is how we’re happy.” 

“But didn’t you like being married?” Sophia asked.  Carol chuckled and kissed the top of her daughter’s head.

“What’s with all of the questions?”

“I don’t know.  Penny Blake’s parents are married, but her mommy is sad all the time. Maybe her mommy and daddy should get divorced.”

“Well, I don’t know Penny Blake’s parents, but every family is different.  I was lucky enough that even after daddy and I got divorced, we still liked each other to do what was best for you.”  Sophia nodded.

“But what if you get married again?”

“What?”

“Katie Pierce’s mommy and daddy got divorced, and now her mommy is getting married again.  She says her mommy doesn’t pay attention to her anymore.”

“Well, I promise you one thing, Sophia.  You always come first, do you understand me?  Nothing will ever make me stop loving you.  Do you understand me?”  Sophia nodded.  “Good.”  Carol pulled her into a hug.  “What would you think if mommy got married again someday?”  Sophia raised her head.

“Well,” she offered, “Daddy said that someday that might happen, and if it does, as long as you’re happy, that’s what counts.”

“Daddy said that?” Carol asked.

“Uh-huh,” Sophia nodded.  “He said he might get married again someday, too.”

“Well, that’s true.  He might.  And I might.  Never say never.  But whatever happens, just know that mommy and daddy love you more than anything in the world.”

“Ok, mommy.”  Sophia hugged Carol again, and Carol kissed the top of her head.  It wasn’t long before Michonne came back in without Andre.

“He went out like a light,” Michonne grinned.  “He gets so excited when other kids come over to play.  I think he wore himself out.”

“We should go.”  Carol took another drink of her coffee.  “I need to fix Sophia dinner and get her packed up for her dad’s.”

“But, mommy!  Tomorrow’s Friday, and Daddy said to come over Saturday morning instead.”

“I know sweet pea. I just want to make sure I don’t forget anything.  Where’s your backpack?”

“In Andre’s room.  I’ll get it!”  Sophia took off, and Carol stood up. 

“Thanks for the coffee.”  She hugged her best friend, and Michonne smiled.

“Hey, anytime.  You look different.”

“Different how?”

“Like you’ve decided something.  I don’t know,” Michonne laughed.  “You ok?”

“Yeah,” Carol nodded.  “I think so.  I think it’s time I called Ed.”

“Yeah?  Time for the new guy to meet the old guy?”

“I think so,” Carol offered with a nervous smile.  “It’s weird.  I feel weird.”

“Hey.  Don’t.  Oh!  How are you gonna do it?”

“I don’t know.  Maybe over dinner?”

“Tomorrow?”

“What?”

“Well, Rick’s got Carl this weekend, and Andre is going to Mike’s mom’s house.  I wouldn’t mind to have a girl’s night with Sophia.  We could do makeovers and make sundaes.”

“Oh, Mich, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“It’s no trouble!  Really!  I’d love to have her.  And I can even drop Sophia off at her dad’s Saturday morning.”

“You would do that?”

“You’re my best friend.  Of course I would,” Michonne promised.  “And Ed’s ok.  I mean, I don’t hate the guy or anything.”  Carol pulled her friend into a hug again.

“You’re the best.  Thank you so much.”

“Just remember that when Rick and I want a night together.”

“You know I’ll always watch Andre,” Carol laughed as Sophia came running back into the room.

“Hey, Sophia.  How would you like to have a slumber party at Aunt Michonne’s tomorrow night?” Michonne asked.  Sophia’s eyes widened.

“Yeah!  Can I, Mommy?!”

“It’s ok with me if it’s ok with you,” Carol offered.  “But just remember, you go to daddy’s Saturday, so you won’t be home with me until Monday after school.  You won’t be scared?”

“No, Mommy,” Sophia giggled.  “Can I?”

“Of course,” Carol chuckled.  “Come on, sweet pea.  Let’s go home for dinner, and we’ll get you all ready for the weekend, ok?”

“Ok!” Sophia chirped, giving Michonne a big hug.

“See you tomorrow night!”

*~*~*~*~*

“Carol?  Is Sophia ok?  What’s going on?”

“Sophia’s fine.  I just called to talk,” Carol offered.  “That’s still legal, right?”

“Shit,” Ed muttered.  “I about had a heart attack.  You never call just to talk.”

“Well, sorry,” Carol snorted.  “Hey, I know you probably have plans tomorrow night, since you asked for Sophia Saturday morning, but…”

“Nah, they fell through.  I was just gonna sit home and watch a couple movies and have a couple beers with Steve and Andy, but Steve’s kid’s got chicken pox, and Andy’s got a new girlfriend.  So, I can take her tomorrow night if you need me to.”

“Actually, she’s going to have a sleepover at Michonne’s.”

“Oh.  How’s she doing?”

“She’s good.  She’s got a new guy.  She’s happy.”

“Yeah?  Well, good for her.”

“Yeah, that’s…that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about.”

“You wanted to talk about Michonne’s love life?” Ed laughed.  “You must be bored.”

“Oh, shut up.  No, look, I was thinking maybe you could meet me for dinner or even a drink at Axel’s tomorrow night.”

“I…I guess I can.  What’s going on?”

“Well, there’s some things I want to discuss with you, and I told you that when the time came, I’d run them by you.”

“Ok… _oh.”_ Ed cleared his throat.  “You met someone.”

“I did.”

“I knew it!  Is it the guy you were with that night Sophia got sick?  You can tell me, you know.  I already know.”

“Yeah, the all-knowing Ed.  One of the things I miss _least_ about you.”

“Funny.  You’re hilarious, Carol,” Ed snorted.  “Seriously though.  C’mon.”

“Yeah.  Ok?  I actually met him that night.  It’s the same night Michonne met her guy.  Her guy was actually my guy that night, and my guy was her guy.  It was a double, sort of blind date that ended up very differently than it started.”

“Sounds like a movie.  Yeah, this is gonna require booze.  Let’s do Axel’s around 8.  We’ll see how good he is with a pool stick.”

“Yeah, ok,” Carol laughed.  “But I need you to not be a dick.  I’m serious about this guy, and I’m ready to take the next step and introduce him to Sophia.  I wanted you to meet him.  Ed, he’s great.  He’s charming and sweet, and well, he’s nothing like you.  You’ll hate him.”

“Oh, that stung,” Ed laughed.  Carol grinned as she leaned back against her pillow and stared up at her bedroom ceiling. “I can’t wait to meet Prince Charming.”

“Oh, don’t even call him that.  His name’s Daryl, and he’s a fireman, and I’m happy, Ed.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.  I am.  And I’m not saying this to hurt you, but I haven’t felt this way about a guy.  Ever.  I mean, it’s intense.”

“Yeah, just rub it in why don’t you?” Ed teased.  “Look, if he makes you happy, I’ll meet the guy.  A fireman, huh?”

“Don’t.”

“What?”

“I know there’s a stupid joke waiting to come out.”

“You like the deer nuts joke.”

“I’m hanging up!” Carol laughed.

“Fine!  Fine.  You know, a fireman.  That’s brave.  That’s really, you know, that’s an admirable thing.” 

“Uh-huh,” Carol murmured slowly, narrowing her eyes as if they were having a face to face conversation.

“The uniform, the big pole.”

“Ed!”

“Do they have those anymore, or is that just in the movies?”

“You’re demented.”

“You’re the one with the dirty mind, Carol.  I’m just making conversation.”

“You’re such a jerk,” she snorted.

“What about the hose?  We talking big and powerful or garden variety?  You know, it’s gotta get the job done.”

“Goodbye, Ed,” Carol laughed, ending the call and covering her face with her hands.  It took her a moment to recover from the mortification of asking her ex husband to meet her new guy, but once she did, she grabbed her phone again and tapped out a quick text to Daryl.

_Want to have an incredibly awkward drink at Axel’s bar tomorrow night?  There’ll be sex afterward.  Lots of it._

A few moments later, her phone buzzed in her hand.

_Hey, I would’ve said yes even without the promise of sex.  What’s up?  We doubling with Rick and Michonne?_

_Uh, no.  I’m going to introduce you to my ex-husband if that’s ok._

_Oh.  Uh, ok.  You said he’s an ok guy, right?_

_Well, ok enough.  I did divorce him, Daryl.  He’s a good guy though.  He might be a dick to you, but I mean, you are screwing his ex-wife, so there’s that._

_Great.  Can’t wait.  It’s been a while since I’ve dreaded something so much._

_Aw, Pookie, I’ll be there with you the whole time.  Oh, and I told him you’re a fireman, so just expect a lot of puns about hoses and poles._

_Great.  Uh, mine’s bigger, right?_

_Men.  You have nothing to worry about.  Goodnight, Pookie._

_Goodnight._

A few moments later, her phone paused again.

_So was that a yes?_


End file.
